MaryJane Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks for all the replies and I was sorry to hear about Alex - I saw the signs last night. Message received: no off leash activity. Thanks for all the advice. Well proceed cautiously. Just to clarify - I don't know the circumstances of how Alex got away and I did not mean to insinuate that it was because of letting the dog off lead (my bad) -- the point I was trying to make is that recall with greyhounds is not the best because of their earlier training of "running" and if your dog gets away, you may never get him/her back. It's a risk some may want to take, I don't and thus, my dogs are always on a leash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zombrie Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) I believe they DO need to run... and I would not ever deny them that PS I LOVE George! What a handsome BOY! Agreed! That's what they were born and bred to do. Some may not NEED it, but I will never not give my greyhounds, or any breed, a chance to run. I live right in Boston. I have no yard. I walk Minerva everyday, rain or shine. Twice a week I bring her to my parents' house to run. Many people bring their greyhounds to baseball fields to run. Edited March 13, 2012 by zombrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DragonflyDM Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I find this topic fascinating, because so often I think people treat sight hounds as if they are entirely different than other dogs. From what I see, a greyhound who was not raced and raised as a pet its whole life can be trained to be off leash like any other dog. The worry of a dog running off and getting lost is common to all dog owners. I think the issue is that raced greyhounds haven’t had the lifetime of training and person-dog communication to give that comfort level to know not to run into traffic or take off after a squirrel for a mile or two. I have seen many a collie and lab take off never to be seen again -- like a bad joke in a comedy movie. Just to give my experience so far with Boomer (my only greyhound). He is VERY good on leash and already knows to stop at the curb and wait to cross-- but that is on leash. Off leash he will walk around like Mr. Magoo and probably get himself killed. A racer is a dog that has never seen stairs before, let alone experienced the feeling of the grill of a 2012 prius. Taking Boomer to the dog park, I have met many greyhound owners. Some of their dogs love to run. Boomer saunters about. He is such a dog nerd. He will run back to me (probably because he thinks I am calling him for peanut butter treats) but the farther away he is, the less influence I have. I certainly would not feel comfortable without him going about without a leash for any distance more than the car to the house with me right next to him. All I am suggesting is that you need to gauge how well trained your grey is, how situationally aware is he to this great wide world, how much risk are you willing to take by giving your dog that kind of freedom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walliered Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Trust is the one word that will get your Greyhound killed. It is not only the training (or lack of), but the generations and generations of breeding to run. These dogs go back centuries and all were runners. I would never trust a greyhound off leash unless in a secure closed in area (ball park with the dug out doors closed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazehund Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) A greyhound who did race and was in fact a 2 X All American can be "trained" to be off leash. It is a personal decision that involves many factors. Edited March 13, 2012 by gazehund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I believe they DO need to run... and I would not ever deny them that PS I LOVE George! What a handsome BOY! Agreed! That's what they were born and bred to do. Some may not NEED it, but I will never not give my greyhounds, or any breed, a chance to run. I live right in Boston. I have no yard. I walk Minerva everyday, rain or shine. Twice a week I bring her to my parents' house to run. Many people bring their greyhounds to baseball fields to run. Not all of us have the luxury of a place to take our dogs to run. My parents HAD a house. The yard was fenced, and approximately the size of a large living room. They sold the house, Dad is in a nursing home, and Mom is in a small apartment waiting for him to die so she can move to assisted living. They have a fenced "yard" and she and I went there not a month ago. George sniffed the fence. He ran about 20 feet, once. Believe me, in my dream world, I own a house with a fenced in yard. Sadly, my home buying budget was about half of what I would need for that. There are NO parks in my town that you can allow your dog off lead. And to add to the frustration, George is a "breed snob." So even if I were to pack him up and drive to the nearest dog park, two towns over, unless it was empty, I can't let him loose. So my only options are an empty park that's fenced, which I do not have access to any more (there was one where I lived before, and I took him three times, and he ran exactly once when I started running and screaming "And it's Driven by Chile by a mile!"), or a Greyhound only play date. Mary Jane has been kind enough to have us over a few times, and as she can attest, George is MUCH more interested in sniffing her fence than running. So to suggest I am denying him his birthright, and I know you're not specifically flaming ME, is, well... I'm guessing George gets a lot more exercise with our 5X daily leash walks than many a dog with a fenced in yard! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DragonflyDM Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) See...I don't buy the "they have to run" concept. All animals-- all life-- work on fundamental principles of motivation and energy management. A dog runs, a cheetah runs, a person exercises because they believe that it is necessary. Either because they genetically believe that they have to be fast to eat, or their muscles just feel antsy because they are bred and trained to move. A collie has to have activity or they will get bored. Some greyhounds may feel the need to run but many others don't. But unlike collies, whose brains aren't going to turn off-- a greyhound can learn to relax. Think about a jock and a brainiac. It is much easier for a jock to become a couch potato than a brainiac to stop high level thinking. Like lions in the zoo-- they don't need to run because the food comes to them. Lions don't, according to zoologists, feel confined with a need to run, because a lion only moves to kill dinner. Energy management says that if you don't have to move to feed- don't. So we have these too conflicting mental states and which is your dog? Does your dog have desire to run because his genetics tells him it is a skill he better keep up. Or does your dog see a great resource saver by not running unless they need to? The more of a forever family member and less of a track dog-- he settles into retirement seriously. I try to get him to run and he has little or no interest. Edited March 13, 2012 by DragonflyDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetcitywoman Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I have a fenced back yard, a middlin' decent size for running. When we first got Capri she was pretty fresh off the tracks and would do yard zoomies a few times a week. Only two years later and she rarely runs at all, of her own preference. Ajax doesn't do many zoomies in the yard either, but LOVES to run inside the house. Most mornings he'll take one of his stuffies on a high-speed tour of the living room-kitchen-dining room mixed in with some heavy pouncing and sliding into home base while DH is putting on his shoes to take the dogs for their morning walk. By the time they're harnessed up, Ajax is winded and ready for a calm walk. I guess the ultimate answer is: YMMV (your mileage may vary) Quote Sharon, Loki, Freyja, Capri (bridge angel and most beloved heart dog), Ajax (bridge angel) and Sweetie Pie (cat) Visit Hound-Safe.com by Something Special Pet Supplies for muzzles and other dog safety products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 George, I know you have a wonderful life! I hope my comments didn't upset your Mom! I strongly feel dogs should be allowed to run offleash (fenced or whatever), but at the same time, I know it's NOT possible for some folks! And I would MUCH RATHER these dogs have HOMES and LOVE and WALKS than sit in adoption waiting for someone with acres of land or easy access to a park. That is ridiculous. SOME dogs would not be suited for life without running, but plenty are... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 A greyhound who did race and was in fact a 2 X All American can be "trained" to be off leash. It is a personal decision that involves many factors. This topic has been hashed out many many times. My response is the same as before: you cannot override thousands of years of instinct with a few years of training. And in your case, you have only had your "All American" for less than 1 year if memory serves me right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazehund Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Why would I care about your response or your opinion? A personal decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 care enough to comment... =} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazehund Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 My choice to comment has nothing to do with you Chad. I want the OP to know you are not the do all and end all of greyhound ownership. Nobody here is. There are options. There are choices. People have different ways of doing things and those things work for them. You are aware of the way you come across on this board. You're proud of it. Bully for you. It is rarely helpful. Though on occasion you have great advise. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawthorn Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 A greyhound who did race and was in fact a 2 X All American can be "trained" to be off leash. It is a personal decision that involves many factors. Yes, I agree. They are all different, as are their owners. I have one who comes from a long line of successful racers but has no interest in chasing - so much for "generations of breeding"! I'm not sure I'd say mine NEED to run but they certainly ENJOY it - and that's what it's all about. Quote When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues. The work of grief is to reconcile and redeem life to a different love relationship. ~ W Scott Lineberry Always Greyhounds Home Boarding and Greyhounds With Love House Sitting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJane Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 A greyhound who did race and was in fact a 2 X All American can be "trained" to be off leash. It is a personal decision that involves many factors. This topic has been hashed out many many times. My response is the same as before: you cannot override thousands of years of instinct with a few years of training. And in your case, you have only had your "All American" for less than 1 year if memory serves me right... I agree with Greyt_dog_lover, greyhounds have centuries of running bred into them and then their early life consists of being trained to run and "ignore everything else going on". These dogs have the ability to see great distances and are able to spot what I do not have the ability to see and will "run after it". With a greyhound, your trust in them can eventually kill them. You trust that they can do the few feet to the car without a leash and then you trust that they will come back when you let them out for their evening pee. You keep on pushing the limit and sadly, the odds are against your greyhound and he is the one that will suffer for it. There's a great writeup about "trust" and the greyhound - maybe someone has it online and will post it. Greyhounds were also bred to be independent unlike other working dogs like shepherds and dobermans which were bred to work alongside people. Training my other breeds was quite different and I can only explain it by saying during training my shepherd and doberman would focus on me with an intensity that would defy description ... my greyhounds on the other hand, would look at me with an expression that seems to say "oh no, not her again, let's just ignore her and she'll go away". In the beginning, greyhounds also don't have the "bonds" that pets normally have because while they got affection at the racing kennels, they typically didn't form the bonds that an owner and pet form. This is not to say that they can't form them later -- they can and do but, it takes time. When you let a dog off-leash, you are counting on that animal coming back. Whether he does or not depends on many factors such as his breeding, training (race and obedience), his bond with you, his tendency to get sidetracked and one really simple one that he "hears you calling him" -- in the case of a greyhound, the deck is not stacked in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Who cares what Gazehund does, she is not an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KahluasMagic Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Bella has no desire to run. We now have a large fenced in yard and she goes out and lays down ! She hates to go for walks too. She is the laziest greyhound I have ever owned ! Quote Lynn Missing Pepper,Magic,Kahlua, Hobbit Ziggy Jasper and Bella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Why would I care about your response or your opinion? A personal decision. Amen! And if you lose that boy, just check my house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thank you for the compliment, even if it was back-handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 ?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 "My choice to comment has nothing to do with you Chad. I want the OP to know you are not the do all and end all of greyhound ownership. Nobody here is. There are options. There are choices. People have different ways of doing things and those things work for them. You are aware of the way you come across on this board. You're proud of it. Bully for you. It is rarely helpful. Though on occasion you have great advise. Carry on." back-handed compliment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Ah, I see. I am off leasher so I don't know. What do I know, other than I have mad fit dogs and never once have lost one But I respect all viewpoints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhiteWave Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 All I can say is I never regret one day of letting Riddick run free and wild in the woods/beach and enjoying his time on earth. Life is too short to spend it restrained at the end of leash all the time. But I do think it makes a difference of a single Greyhound running vs. running in a pack. The pack mentality helps keeps them together. Casper is the leader and very rarely will one of the dogs pass him. He takes the lead and the others follow. Also not every dog nor every situation is appropriate for being off leash. You have to know your dog and know the area. Use commonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Amen Tiffany. I am so glad I placed that puppy with you, and you gave him the BEST LIFE. He lived more in his few months than most dogs do in a lifetime. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for giving my baby a good home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamaha_gurl Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 All I can say is I never regret one day of letting Riddick run free and wild in the woods/beach and enjoying his time on earth. Life is too short to spend it restrained at the end of leash all the time. But I do think it makes a difference of a single Greyhound running vs. running in a pack. The pack mentality helps keeps them together. Casper is the leader and very rarely will one of the dogs pass him. He takes the lead and the others follow. Also not every dog nor every situation is appropriate for being off leash. You have to know your dog and know the area. Use commonsense. This is what I'm thinking too. The GTers that let their dogs off leash, always have more than 2...most at least. Quote Greyhound Collars : www.collartown.ca Maggie (the human servant), with Miss Bella, racing name "A Star Blackieto" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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