Little Dogs And Greyhounds

[Guest WarmheartedPups]

Last year I lost my dear sweet Roo, then three months later my husband....divorce..not death...but it felt like it.

Then financial chaos....possible loss of house, trying to find a job....and in the midst of all of this....I adopted an 8 pound poodle from a rescue group. He is a cute little guy, Casey is his name....full of zip and a good disposition. He is one year old.

 

Now, I am settled...was able to keep my house, found a job, and my life is stable.....so guess what......I really miss my houndies.

 

My question is this.....could I EVER trust a hound with an 8 pound, gray, fast, playful little bullet? Casey would love nothing better than to have a running partner.

 

I would never want to put Casey in harms way....so am I doomed to be Greyless?

 

 

Anyone have personal experience with this?

 

.....and hello to all my friends....I have not been here in a loooong time.....I have been healing. Feeling good now.

[Wonder]

Linda- there's no reason why you can't get another hound. I still have your kennel in my garage and can bring it back any time

Call Donna and let her know you are looking. She will find one little dog safe for you.

[Guest Arielle]

I don't currently have other dogs living here, just cats, but my friend has a ten pound Boston terrier that she always brings over to my house. My gray, Ari, has never had a problem with her. In fact, Ari is a heck of a lot more tolerant of this dog's snarky behavior (snapping if Ari sniffs her too long, letting the little dog take all of her rawhides) than she would be of a larger dog. We have left them alone together in a house several times with no issues. So I think it is definitely a real possibility. Good luck!

[Guest AceyGrey]

I think it would definitely depend on the greys personality, by boy hates anything smaller than a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, probably as result of a Jack Russel attempting to bite him the first time he encountered one.

 

Yet other greys love smaller pals. I'm sure if you took your dog along with you when choosing a grey, he would be very helpful in making the right choice.

[Guest WarmheartedPups]

Linda- there's no reason why you can't get another hound. I still have your kennel in my garage and can bring it back any time

Call Donna and let her know you are looking. She will find one little dog safe for you.

 

 

Do you really believe that there are safe hounds with small...FAST... animals? Just in case...dont give the kennel away before talking to me.

Edited August 15, 2012 by WarmheartedPups

[Wonder]

Linda- there's no reason why you can't get another hound. I still have your kennel in my garage and can bring it back any time

Call Donna and let her know you are looking. She will find one little dog safe for you.

 

 

Do you really believe that there are safe hounds with small...FAST... animals? Just in case...dont give the kennel away before talking to me.

Yes, I think you can get one that will be safe. It might take a while though. The kennel is in my rafters so don't worry

[Guest alannamac]

Yes there are safe hounds with small FAST animals! You'll have to be choosy and super watchful for a while to be sure that the new grey is safe and learns who is family! I have a loud flashy cat that I thought I'd NEVER be able to find

a greyhound match for.....yet my adoption group paired us with the perfect one

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Lots of hounds are fine with littles! Mine is not at the park, but would be at home.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I wouldnt say a poodle is "fast". Quick and agile, yes, fast, no. As far as greyhounds that can handle living and playing with small dogs, it is not that uncommon. I have a foster that went to a house that has an in-home grooming business where there are all sorts of small ankle biters running here and to every single day. My three have fun playing with a friends pug that comes by every now and then. My hounds have also lived with cats for many years as well.

[Guest kkaiser104]

Teddi has no troubles with little dogs. He's met my grandmas Pomeranian and they get off just fine. He also has several small dog friends at the dog park and he loves them!

[greysandmollie]

I have two Chihuahua mixes who are flat coated so not the look of a poodle...one is 9lb and the other 14....my greyhounds have never had any issues with them. Occasionally it has turned into a bark fest in the yard with the littlest one barking at my greyhound Dylan. Then Dylan barks back at him but never like prey. I do not allow the little ones out in the yard with other greyhounds that come to the house.

 

When my boy Bounty got sick several years ago and I had just gotten Pixie, my fist chi mix, and she was a constant by his side as his cancer got very bad, very quickly. She really loved him.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Jayne running full speed in the yard with loose chickens and ducks, two of which weigh less than a pound: It's not quite the same thing, but shows that a grey can certainly be safe with very small prey animals.

 

http://youtu.be/wv6Msxe4faU

 

She's also had several play dates with three littles (14 pounds and under), and hasn't once gone for them . . . mostly she just lays down.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Jayne

[TheFullHouse]

Jilly Bean lives with 8 greyhounds. I don't however let her out in the yard with them running any more as she's almost 14 now, but she ran with them when she was younger.

[cmc333]

We have westies and greyhounds. We've never had a problem. Our littlest westie is 12 pounds (not counting the 3 lb. puppy we just brought home) and there's never been any trouble. When the westies were younger, they ran around the fenced in yard all the time with the gh's. Of course, this was after a long time of getting to know each other. I anticipate no problems with the new puppy either, once she gets older and actually is allowed outside in the yard.

 

Take your poodle with you to the kennel (or wherever you meet your prospective dogs) and make sure they mesh. We did that the first time we adopted a gh - we took a 3 year old and a 13 year old westie with us to meet a greyhound. Of course, we ended up with the very last dog I would have chosen, but Gypsy was absolutely fabulous with the westies. My little 3 yr. old westie and her were best buds.

[JAJ2010]

There is a right hound for everyone ;-) and where are the pics of this cute little guy?

 

Both of mine are OK with darting crazy cats. You may not want to turn the little one out in a yard with your grey, but that's a judgment call you can make.

 

[3greytjoys]

I agree that with care, many Greyhounds are fine inside a home with a smaller family dog. Many Greyhounds are fine with family indoor cats too. Outside ("game on") environments become more questionable for many Greyhounds + any smaller animal/s. Some people manage greatly different sized family member animals by letting them take turns outside in their yard.

 

Personally, I would consider a 1 year young, 8 pound dog similar to a young, energetic cat (+ barking to play). A darting small dog could be hurt even inadvertently by a speeding/zooming Greyhound outside, even if a lower prey hound viewed smaller family dog as playmate vs. prey. If it were me, and I really wanted another Greyhound, I would keep their outdoor playtime separate for safety. If you just want a true playmate (to run outside) with your Poodle, a similar sized smaller dog would be safer. Just my opinion.

 

Apples to oranges comparison: An energetic kitten can be harder on Greyhounds because they climb and knock large things over on resting Greyhounds, plus kittens streak around inside the house lightening fast! Escape routes, like a baby-gate raised 6" off floor level, has saved our cats from our Greyhound pack many times. All the hounds still try to chase the (indoor only) cats and the youngest cat is (finally) 3 years old. Our Greyhounds now range in age from geriatric seniors to 4 years old.) Bottom line: IMO, a small dog is definitely doable (and easier than cats) with Greyhounds. Only you will know what you are willing to manage.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Nixon is super good with little ones....even at the dog park.

[KickReturn]

90 lb Grey and 4 pound Yorkie. The two had never met before. Everybody off leash on a beach. (I think the Yorkie owner is taking a terrible risk, but alas Hester did not eat him.)

 

Edited August 16, 2012 by KickReturn

[cleptogrey]

every dog is differernt, you can find a small dog/cat safe grey with patience and communication. i have been watching my daughter's 20# texas weiner for the past month, this is the 2nd time i've had her for a month. annie needs to be muzzled w/ her- she courses the house guest out side(if a swift or cool wind kicks up), but most of the time inside she is fine w/ her. felix couldn't give a hoot outside and just plays w/ toys w/ her- 77# & 20# playing together is a hoot! inside i crate maggie for saftey, my philosophy is "better safe than sorry". she loves having a 32" crate- a palace. it can be done, make sure you supervise well in the begining and keep everyone safe. in the car- no problems even though we started off w/ annie muzzled. maggie likes to sit under the grey's tush- go know. but we fit 3 in the backseat of the 2 door honda civic.

[Guest karilynn]

Hello fellow Minnesotan!

 

My grey is PERFECT with small dogs, even white, fluffy fast ones that dart around him at the dog park. He has literally ZERO prey drive. He is afraid of rabbits, if that tells you anything. So, yes, of course there are hounds out there that will be perfectly fine with your little poodle guy. It's all about having the patience to find one. Good luck!

[Guest sweetpea]

Oh goodness yes!

 

Sweetpea is completely ambivalent toward other dogs, big or little. She doesn't like them, she doesn't dislike them;

she doesn't react at all, I'm not sure she recognizes them as dogs.

 

Having said that, when we had to take in Sebastian (who's a little bigger than your Casey), now I think she enjoys having

a little buddy. When they play together we worry more for her than for him.

 

I would share a picture but Photobucket is apparently under the weather.

(Sebastian is a 19 lb Rat Terrier, talk about speedy and darty and all the things that should trigger prey drive.)

 

There can't be just one Sweetpea in the greyhound world, there's got to be one out there for you!

 

Buzzy

Edited August 16, 2012 by sweetpea

[kickchick2000]

I recently fostered a rat terrier from my local animal shelter and Milky Way did fine with her. The first night it was a little hairy as the rat terrier wanted to eat Milky Way but after a day and a half she settled down and learned she wasn't the queen of the castle.

 

To make you laugh even more when Milky Way is boarded and goes to day camp he has to be put with all the little dogs because he is such a weenie, he can't be placed with dogs his size because they scare him and play to rough so he goes in with all the little ankle biters. I'm not making this up either.

[Trihounds]

I think you are getting the answers you were looking for!!

 

Our 4 hounds are routinely outside with our 2 cats in the fenced yard....no issues. Have fun on your search - they are out there!!

[Guest WarmheartedPups]

To make you laugh even more when Milky Way is boarded and goes to day camp he has to be put with all the little dogs because he is such a weenie, he can't be placed with dogs his size because they scare him and play to rough so he goes in with all the little ankle biters. I'm not making this up either.

:rofl

[Lisbeth]

I agree with all the members who stated: every Greyhound is different. Mine prefers playing with small dogs, and although she is quite brusque and often too quick for the other dog to keep up with both for chase and contact play, she has never injured another dog - although she has unintentionally frightened quite a few of her playmates! At the moment, one of her favorite friends is a small Jack Russel male.

I think upon 'testing' a Greyhound with a smaller dog (with a muzzle for safety) it often becomes obvious if the Greyhound in question is able to adapt to a smaller, more fragile playmate or will eventually begin to instinctually treat the smaller dog as prey. It can be difficult to get the feel of your Greyhound's attitude in one play session though - my Greyhound will often bark and growl a lot while playing, this is simply her way of expressing herself. However, I have seen another Greyhound that gave a lot of attitude in her body language typical of play (play-bow, tail up, etc) but began chasing a smaller dog in a manner that quickly lost all semblance of play and became very threatening for the smaller dog (and owner!).

Do not take Greyhound out of your options as a potential companion - just find one that will click with Casey, not an impossible feat!