What To Expect When Adopting A Retired Racer

[Guest ManyBlessings]

Nice video! Thank you! That was amazing. And looked easy. I'm glad I found this forum. Just when you think you know a lot.....you realize how little you do know. In my mind I keep thinking "you have to nip any bad behavior immediately" or the dog will think it has one up on you. I probably am thinking too reactively.

 

With our two dogs we have them sit before getting their food bowls. Works great. Would you all suggest feeding a new grey by hand for a while? And the kids giving lots of treats?

 

They share a water bowl......do you feel this would present any problems?

 

And with this method the dog doesn't think it's getting rewarded for growling? Interesting.

 

With our Berner, I always handled food and treats and wanted to be sure she would not be food agressive. She seemed to be a bit at first but was the runt of a litter of 10 so I think she had to compete for food. If she growled at me when I touched her or put my hand near her food I would immediately and sternly say "NO!" and take it away. She would have to wait to get it returned. I only had to do that a few times and she was fine.

 

Growling is a form of communication, not just a "bad behavior" that we shouldn't allow our dogs to do. Because I'm on my lunch break and short on time, here's a previous post I made regarding this issue and why you don't need to worry about 'rewarding' growling.

 

Messing with a dog too much while he's eating and taking their food away for no reason can create a dog who becomes distrustful and possessive of food. Imagine how you feel if someone tried to do that to you when you sit down for a meal. I find that most well-adjusted dogs are not food aggressive as long as they are allowed to eat in peace and know that they will not be disturbed. Food aggressive dogs tend to be insecure and are more likely to show this behavior when in a new environment, around people they haven't learned to trust yet.

 

An alternate method that works better for addressing food aggression is use positive reinforcement to change the dog's association with you approach him while eating. Whenever you approach or get near (ideally before he starts to tense up), you toss special treats into his bowl so that he learns he's going to get something even better and there's no need to feel defensive.

Edited October 9, 2012 by ManyBlessings

[dmdsmoxie]

I guess it seems sad to me because they are so isolated. Both from humans and other dogs. It just seems like a lonely life. Since dogs are pack animals they need social interaction. I realized their physical needs get met, but at what cost? I know it's not the worst way to grow up, but it just seems like a lonely life.

 

 

 

My advice about this assumption if if you ever get the chance to go to a racing kennel you should do it. At that point you should believe what your eyes see and not that your ears heard.

 

Dick

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Jayne, did you get your grey directly from the trainer then? I know there are all kinds of organizations placing retired racers. I can see now that "retired" does not mean "rescued", necessarily. Am I close?

 

No, I adopted Jayne through a group. Her trainer keeps in close contact with the adoption group that she places her dogs with, and I got to know her through Jayne's foster dad forwarding my e-mails about Jayne to the trainer. We're now Facebook friends because she likes to know how her former charges are doing in their homes, if the adopter is willing to share. I've just found out those tidbits of info by things she says in conversation. In an e-mail about Jayne refusing to eat a trout until I broiled it for her (I didn't buy my dog a trout, I'm not crazy, I caught it and another I had caught along with it tasted like pond scum, so I kept the lot for the dog) the trainer mentioned that Jayne had been a big fan of sardines and mackerel at the track. Another time I posted on Facebook that my crazy dog enjoyed some canned spinach I fed her, the trainer responded that she added to their food at the track pretty often. Then she went on to say that she loved giving them the cottage cheese with peaches, because when she would give the container to one of the dogs to lick out and they often got it stuck on their heads, one of Jayne's half-brothers was apparently a favorite for that.

 

You are right, retired doesn't mean rescued in most cases. Like anything involving humans there are cases of abuse within the industry, but that is not accepted and not the norm. My dog wasn't a rescue in any way. Her owners/trainer hang onto their dogs until there is a place for them within an adoption group, and she wasn't mistreated while in their care. Some on here have actually rescued their greys, from hoarding or abuse situations, but for the vast majority, it was just adoption.

 

With our two dogs we have them sit before getting their food bowls. Works great. Would you all suggest feeding a new grey by hand for a while? And the kids giving lots of treats?

 

They share a water bowl......do you feel this would present any problems?

 

I thing hand-feeding can be very beneficial. It can help with bonding, as will walking and training. Being fed by you will be a very positive association for the dog.

 

I don't think sharing a water dish presents an issue. Mine will happily share water with strange dogs and the cats.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Jayne

[Neighsayer]

If you ask for a dog that was fostered, you will know about food or space issues, and how they are with kids. I have always used one large water dish for all my dogs ( five at most). I do feed each of my current dogs in their own area because one eats very fast and would come looking for whatever the others were still eating. Since he is the boss dog, the others would give up their food to him. He sometimes growls at them, but I let them work it out. He has never snapped at them. He has growled at me a few times over the past seven years. I just made some minor changes in how I was approaching him and didn't make a big deal of it. He was just telling me that I was making him uncomfortable. I have never had any dog mark in the house. Sometimes the females are worse than the males. Work with your group. The dog you want is out there...and probably does not need to be rescued. Good luck!

[Brandiandwe]

I adopted my two girls, I did't rescue them. They both came from the organisation which is the greyhound industry's body for adoption, so my two came from trainers who wanted the best thing for their dogs.

 

Mine have their own food bowls and only get fed in 'their' spots. I do make sure I'm within cooee of them as Brandi scoffs hers and Paige prefers to savour, and sometimes have a drink half way through - when she leaves her bowl, Brandi has tried to swoop in.They share a water bowl with no problems and will drink from the same tap at the same time. I never hand fed my dogs to bond with them, but Paige does get hand fed once a month because she won't eat for anyone else, and I have a late meeting - she gets so hungry that she ends up sick and I need to hand feed her.

 

Growling I have no problems with except if they are stopping the other from approaching me (I get to decide who gets cuddled, not them) or if they are on 'my' furniture (on the couch or bed with me or my husband). Again, my call not theirs.

 

I've never had space issues, food issues or sleep startle. In fact, Brandi has been known to hop into bed in the middle of the night and share my pillow - I wouldn't do that with any other dog.

 

Both girls needs to wait outside the kitchen before being fed. They usually lie there and wait patiently. Sitting isn't as comfortable.

 

For ours two, Brandi started off very insecure and is still a little less happy in new places than Paige, which is why we adopted Paige who isn't scared of anything or anyone. Having said that, Brandi has become more confident and will now be more assertive in dealing with humans and other dogs. Paige has taken nearly 12 months, but is finally becoming a more affectionate and outgoing dog. It took between 4 and 6 months before she'd hop up onto the couch and lean against my husband. She did that in two weeks with me. It has also only been in the past two weeks that she has been interested in interacting with other people. Brandi has always greeted people with a lunge,a nuzzle or a happy tail wag. If they stopped to talk, Brandi was right in there, while Paige stayed away at the end of the leash. Now she also wags her tail and goes forward for affection. It's just how she is and I wouldn't change her for anything.

 

Good luck! They're wonderful dogs.

[Feisty49]

Sometimes I think that if I joined and read this board before I adopted Annie Bella, I might have been scared away. LOL I did read books, on-line material and information given out by my adoption group before I actually adopted so I had a lot of information, but it's like child raising: reading about it is different than the live child and/or dog.

 

There are a lot of posts on GT that deal with issues and problems but the nature of any message board is to give advice and help and share "what happened in my situation." There isn't a forum titled "My Dog Has no Corns" or "My Dog Has No Space Issues," but yet there are a lot of us who have dogs who have no problems or issues (knock on wood).

 

I adopted Annie B 15 months ago. She had been in 2 foster homes in my adoption group. She came to me with almost no issues or problems. She's never had SA. She's never had space issues. She's never growled at me, even when I took a bully stick away from her without offering a substitute. She doesn't jump on furniture or my bed. She doesn't cruise counters or get in the garbage. She's never peed in the house. She poo'd twice the first week because I was unaware of her schedule and her "I gotta go" look. She ignores the cat and her prey drive outside (I live in the country with lots of animals) is nil (she actually tries to get the deer to play by getting in the bow position) . She likes people, kids, and most other dogs (she does not like little yappy dogs and responds to the noise by walking away from them).

 

One issue she had was a fear of small or narrow spaces. She didn't like the hallway between the kitchen and TV room and would rush-through-cause-I'm-afraid. She used to rush through the back doorway to outside because, I assume, it was more narrow than she preferred. It took her 6 months to work up her nerve to walk upstairs to the second floor (she never had problems with the 9 "open" stairs leading to the back door). As time went by, she finally went upstairs because she didn't like sleeping alone. Also, she lost her fear of hallways, doorways and other spaces that felt confining to her.

 

The only medical issue she had was relatively minor diarrhea, and it took a few months to get it squared away. When you adopt, find out from the foster parents what food your houndie has been eating and if it produced firm poo. I did get that information and was told Annie was fine pooing, but when she came to live with me, her "fine" poo became very soft serve.

 

Another piece of advice: Relax. It's a dog. Yah, it's the best breed to own, IMO , but it is a dog, and you've had experience.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Feisty49

[JJNg]

So maybe my thinking is off.....they are socialized, just not as part of a human family like gazehund was saying. But are they shy? Is that because they don't take change well? Some one just said 6 months for their full personality to come out. Wow, now that does kind of make me sad....as why would that be? Trust issues? It did not take that long for my other rescues to get fully comfortable living in our home. Maybe it's a difference in breeds?

 

Most greyhounds are not shy, and I actually find that they handle change remarkably well. The transition from their consistent track routine to an often less predictable home life places a greyhound into surroundings and experiences that are totally foreign to them. This was the main point of the Kathleen Gilley article that gazehund posted.

 

Many greyhounds are able to take these changes in stride and settle in rather quickly. I've helped with a number of transports, and I meet many greyhounds who are happy and outgoing from the minute they step off the hauler (the truck or volunteers transporting them from the track to adoption groups). Some even walk right into a home and flop onto a dog bed, or go straight to the toy basket and grab toys to play with, like they've always lived in a home. To me, this is a sign that these dogs are properly socialized and have stable temperaments.

 

Yes, some greyhounds are initially a little overwhelmed by the changes and act a bit shy and timid at first. But even the majority of these quickly adjust and start to show their sweet, friendly personalities within weeks if not days. When people say that it can take greyhounds 6 months for their full personality to come out, that doesn't mean they are shy and scared for that entire time - just that they continue to progress and develop as they learn what home life is about.

 

Keeping in mind that life as a household companion is so fundamentally different from life as a racing greyhound, I find it amazing that they adjust so well and have the reputation that they do as being excellent pets. Most "rescued" dogs from a shelter at least know what life in a home is like, even if they didn't receive the best of care. And from what I've seen, dogs who have limited human contact, like ferals or long term strays or dogs rescued from puppy mills, do not ever fully adjust the way the vast majority of greyhounds do.

 

In my mind I keep thinking "you have to nip any bad behavior immediately" or the dog will think it has one up on you.

 

Behavior is only 'bad' from a human perspective - dogs almost always do what they do for a reason. Often we are not understanding or meeting the dog's needs, or the dog is stressed or insecure. Dogs do not misbehave to try to get 'one up' on us.

 

With our two dogs we have them sit before getting their food bowls. Works great. Would you all suggest feeding a new grey by hand for a while? And the kids giving lots of treats?

 

Personally, I don't think there's any need to hand feed. Greyhounds are used to being presented with their food (usually in their crates) and being allowed to eat in peace. While many racing kennels give treats, these may be set down for the dogs, so some greyhounds may not necessarily even be used to taking food from your hand. So this may unnecessarily introduce another change that some dogs may find stressful. By all means, reward good behavior with treats, and account for this as part of the daily intake, but I believe in allowing dogs to eat their meals without interference.

[Guest ladyhound]

I can see now that "retired" does not mean "rescued", necessarily. Am I close?

You got it precisely!

For example, I preadopted my dog Jade. I still regularly talk to her racing owner and I send her photos and updates, etc. -- she loves hearing about Jade's retired life! We both call Jade "our girl" and that's because I attribute many of her wonderful qualities to the way she was raised as a racing greyhound. I have photos of her as a one day old baby, and know all about her early life. I happen to know this dog has been spoiled her whole life and I happen to know funny tidbits like she hates having her nails trimmed, and she's acted like a nut when it's nail trim time ever since she was just a pup. She's 8 years old now and she still acts like a lunatic when it's nail trim time.

 

My other current greyhound was adopted from a wonderful adoption group, and the President also happens to own racing greyhounds. The adoption group President is very active in finding homes for retired racers and she's always happy to talk to adopters about what the life of a racing greyhound is really like. It's really interesting for many people to learn that the dogs are given massages, treats, etc.

 

The way I look at it is that the dogs are elite level athletes, and they are treated like elite level athletes.

 

It is great that you are asking so many questions, because that way you know what to expect more. Lots of very experienced and helpful people here!

[jetcitywoman]

I'm late to the party, but you've gotten a lot of great advice and answers so I'll just chime in with something I've observed about the issue of socialization. In racing kennels, as you've probably seen in the photos and slideshow posted, the dogs are kept in wire crates stacked two high. Note that there is no separation between side-by-side crates so the dogs can see each other.

 

Now go (if you haven't already) to any boarding kennel or animal shelter and notice that all of the dog crates and runs have solid walls between them so that the dogs can NOT see their neighbors. This is to keep the general noise level down because most pet dogs are so poorly socialized that they bark and act crazy if they can see another dog they don't know.

 

That's something I observed when I toured boarding kennels when we needed to go on vacation a few years ago and I think it's a very significant thing that nobody really talks about. We DO talk about the difference in socialization, but nobody's really pointed out the visual-separation tactic in kennels. For that reason, I will never board my greys in a kennel - they'd be lonely to death not being able to see who else is in the room.

 

Another observation: take any dog to a dog park for the first time. Notice some barking until the dogs all get a good smell of each other. (Assuming there are no bad boys in attendance eager to start fights.) Now after you get your grey, take him to Grapehounds, Gig, Mountain Hounds or Dewey Beach and observe the dogs as they meet each other for the first time. Not a peep. They're all curious and eager to meet each other. They are NOT aggressive or hostile and yelling at each other like other dogs.

 

Racing greyhounds, as someone else pointed out, are the BEST socialized dogs in the world (as a breed).

[Feisty49]

 

 

I agree that it's not necessary to hand feed, unless there is a true, specific reason such as encouragement because of illness. Regarding treats: JJNG reminded me that Annie Bella would not take treats from my hand. They had to be tossed on the floor. I had forgotten that. She learned, though, in about 5 minutes to trust my hand by my putting a small treat on my knee, which she took. I did it again two more times. I then put another treat on my knee, and left my hand next to it, and she took it. I did that a couple of more times. I then put the treat on my hand and laid my hand, palm up, on my knee. She took that. The next step was directly from my hand not on my knee. It worked like a charm.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Feisty49

[Guest ManyBlessings]

Thank you so much. Yes, I'm sure you're right. And reading up on all the issues that "could" come up is probably not good for me. And yes I have had experience. But I do know each breed is different. I hope to get a boy as nice as your girl. My youngest daughter is Bella and one of my adult daughters' middle name is Ann. So your girls' name rings nicely. She looks very pretty. I'm going to try for a boy this time, but I will go on personality and temperament to fit our family.

 

I received my first book yesterday and am half way through it! It's the Living with dogs and kids.......without losing your mind. I have to say it does seem mostly common sense. But I have learned a few new things I'd never tought much about. My Adopting a racing greyhound for dummies should be here any day now.......

 

Thanks again for your insight. I am going to try reading positive posts for a while

 

Sometimes I think that if I joined and read this board before I adopted Annie Bella, I might have been scared away. LOL I did read books, on-line material and information given out by my adoption group before I actually adopted so I had a lot of information, but it's like child raising: reading about it is different than the live child and/or dog.

 

There are a lot of posts on GT that deal with issues and problems but the nature of any message board is to give advice and help and share "what happened in my situation." There isn't a forum titled "My Dog Has no Corns" or "My Dog Has No Space Issues," but yet there are a lot of us who have dogs who have no problems or issues (knock on wood).

 

I adopted Annie B 15 months ago. She had been in 2 foster homes in my adoption group. She came to me with almost no issues or problems. She's never had SA. She's never had space issues. She's never growled at me, even when I took a bully stick away from her without offering a substitute. She doesn't jump on furniture or my bed. She doesn't cruise counters or get in the garbage. She's never peed in the house. She poo'd twice the first week because I was unaware of her schedule and her "I gotta go" look. She ignores the cat and her prey drive outside (I live in the country with lots of animals) is nil (she actually tries to get the deer to play by getting in the bow position) . She likes people, kids, and most other dogs (she does not like little yappy dogs and responds to the noise by walking away from them).

 

One issue she had was a fear of small or narrow spaces. She didn't like the hallway between the kitchen and TV room and would rush-through-cause-I'm-afraid. She used to rush through the back doorway to outside because, I assume, it was more narrow than she preferred. It took her 6 months to work up her nerve to walk upstairs to the second floor (she never had problems with the 9 "open" stairs leading to the back door). As time went by, she finally went upstairs because she didn't like sleeping alone. Also, she lost her fear of hallways, doorways and other spaces that felt confining to her.

 

The only medical issue she had was relatively minor diarrhea, and it took a few months to get it squared away. When you adopt, find out from the foster parents what food your houndie has been eating and if it produced firm poo. I did get that information and was told Annie was fine pooing, but when she came to live with me, her "fine" poo became very soft serve.

 

Another piece of advice: Relax. It's a dog. Yah, it's the best breed to own, IMO , but it is a dog, and you've had experience.

Edited October 10, 2012 by ManyBlessings

[GeorgeofNE]

I guess it seems sad to me because they are so isolated. Both from humans and other dogs. It just seems like a lonely life. Since dogs are pack animals they need social interaction. I realized their physical needs get met, but at what cost? I know it's not the worst way to grow up, but it just seems like a lonely life.

 

 

I'm not sure what you read--but Greyhounds live with their entire litter until they're at LEAST six months old. Your Bernese Mt. Dog? Probably you purchased it when it was 8 weeks old and it's been living with you ever since. I'm sure you love your dogs very much--but as a dog who it would rather live with, it's litter or humans, and you would no doubt be surprised to learn that your average DOG (they're NOT babies) would much rather be running around in a large, clean run rough housing with his siblings that baby gated into a kitchen, alone, while it's humans are off at work (which is pretty typical of your normal pet dog upbringing).

 

Isolated? They're NEVER, ever alone. Not until they're adopted.

[Guest ManyBlessings]

Yes, I see your point. I was thinking they are isolated because they are in cages many hours per day/night. I know some pet dogs are too. That's why some have the separation anxiety. They can see other dogs but are not in physical contact. It's what they are used to. My dogs are dogs.....but I like to think they like my company too. I'm glad many of you have been joining in this thread. It makes me feel a lot better about how they are raised. I'm just so used to the puppy mill dogs that are not treated well and sit in cages. I can see these hounds are treated well....massages, that is nice!

 

I guess it seems sad to me because they are so isolated. Both from humans and other dogs. It just seems like a lonely life. Since dogs are pack animals they need social interaction. I realized their physical needs get met, but at what cost? I know it's not the worst way to grow up, but it just seems like a lonely life.

 

 

I'm not sure what you read--but Greyhounds live with their entire litter until they're at LEAST six months old. Your Bernese Mt. Dog? Probably you purchased it when it was 8 weeks old and it's been living with you ever since. I'm sure you love your dogs very much--but as a dog who it would rather live with, it's litter or humans, and you would no doubt be surprised to learn that your average DOG (they're NOT babies) would much rather be running around in a large, clean run rough housing with his siblings that baby gated into a kitchen, alone, while it's humans are off at work (which is pretty typical of your normal pet dog upbringing).

 

Isolated? They're NEVER, ever alone. Not until they're adopted.

[Guest ManyBlessings]

Looking at them like elite athletes makes a lot of sense to me. I work around one of the top College Men's BB programs in the country. And being a huge sports fan, that analogy rings familiar. I would love to see a track and how the dogs are kept some day. And to see all of those dogs would be amazing!

 

I can see now that "retired" does not mean "rescued", necessarily. Am I close?

You got it precisely!

For example, I preadopted my dog Jade. I still regularly talk to her racing owner and I send her photos and updates, etc. -- she loves hearing about Jade's retired life! We both call Jade "our girl" and that's because I attribute many of her wonderful qualities to the way she was raised as a racing greyhound. I have photos of her as a one day old baby, and know all about her early life. I happen to know this dog has been spoiled her whole life and I happen to know funny tidbits like she hates having her nails trimmed, and she's acted like a nut when it's nail trim time ever since she was just a pup. She's 8 years old now and she still acts like a lunatic when it's nail trim time.

 

My other current greyhound was adopted from a wonderful adoption group, and the President also happens to own racing greyhounds. The adoption group President is very active in finding homes for retired racers and she's always happy to talk to adopters about what the life of a racing greyhound is really like. It's really interesting for many people to learn that the dogs are given massages, treats, etc.

 

The way I look at it is that the dogs are elite level athletes, and they are treated like elite level athletes.

 

It is great that you are asking so many questions, because that way you know what to expect more. Lots of very experienced and helpful people here!

[dmdsmoxie]

Looking at them like elite athletes makes a lot of sense to me. I work around one of the top College Men's BB programs in the country. And being a huge sports fan, that analogy rings familiar. I would love to see a track and how the dogs are kept some day. And to see all of those dogs would be amazing!

 

 

 

If you go to the bottom of this page I posted a video that might answer some of your questions.

 

Dick

[jetcitywoman]

Yes, I see your point. I was thinking they are isolated because they are in cages many hours per day/night. I know some pet dogs are too. That's why some have the separation anxiety. They can see other dogs but are not in physical contact. It's what they are used to. My dogs are dogs.....but I like to think they like my company too. I'm glad many of you have been joining in this thread. It makes me feel a lot better about how they are raised. I'm just so used to the puppy mill dogs that are not treated well and sit in cages. I can see these hounds are treated well....massages, that is nice!

 

Oh, they LOVE your company, not to worry. They also love other greyhounds since they spend the first year of their lives with their fellow budding racers. Dick's video is pretty awesome and that's very much what I saw when I toured a greyhound farm in Wheeling last year. It was nothing at all like a puppy mill. The broodie and her 4-week old pups were in an open-topped large pen with clean shredded newspaper lining the floor. Mom and pups were clean and healthy. We got to pick up and smooch and cuddle the pups and pet the momma. The active racers were in wire crates in the same climate controlled building, with a "kitchen" in one corner for easy meal times. They are turned out into the yard three or four times a day. When we visited, the farmer opened the crate doors for a couple of the adoptables. One brindle boy was a social butterfly who flew out of his crate and said hi to each and ever one of us. THAT is not an abused dog. Another one was a bit shy at first, but warmed up to us. After visiting with those dogs, we went outside to visit the older pups in their outdoor runs. Between weaning and race training the dogs are kept outside in super-large runs like you can see in Dick's video. They are the happiest, dirtiest little bundles of utter joy that you'll ever meet. Their job at that stage in their life is to grow strong, so they're encouraged to eat and run, run, run and play. They are covered in dust and mud, but never ever neglected. They have shade and constant supply of water, wading pools during hot weather, constant company with their littermates or the dogs in the nextdoor runs. The farmer or his daughter sometimes get on the four-wheeler and drive it up and down beside the runs to encourage the dogs to chase it.

 

By the time a greyhound is retired and comes to you, he's the most socialized, happy healthy thing there is.

 

Just for a little contrast, last year I was working a meet and greet for my group and there happened to be someone at the store from the Great Dane rescue doing the same thing. During a lull, I got to chatting with the Great Dane ladies. I asked them where they got their dogs. Then wished I hadn't asked. They get them starved, neglected, full of ticks, fleas and mange. They get them near death and have to nurse them back to health before they can adopt them out. They get them like that.... from people's own back yards who couldn't take care of them, but just ignored the situation as long as they could. That's truly "rescue".

Edited October 11, 2012 by jetcitywoman

[Guest ManyBlessings]

I guess it seems sad to me because they are so isolated. Both from humans and other dogs. It just seems like a lonely life. Since dogs are pack animals they need social interaction. I realized their physical needs get met, but at what cost? I know it's not the worst way to grow up, but it just seems like a lonely life.

 

Wonderful video, thank you! That is a much different environment than I had imagined. I was reading my adopting a retired racer for dummies book last night and read about the thousand of greys that were euthanized in the early 80s after their racing careers were over. It's so nice to see most have homes now. They do seem like such good companions I just can't imagine throwing them away when they are done.

 

My adoption rep is calling me today. I am nearly done with my reading assignments and can't wait to meet some greys in person!

 

Thank you so much for your input. I am really learning much more than I had anticipated.

 

 

My advice about this assumption if if you ever get the chance to go to a racing kennel you should do it. At that point you should believe what your eyes see and not that your ears heard.

 

Dick

 

_Dick,

 

_{Wonderful video, thank you! That is a much different environment than I had imagined. I was reading my adopting a retired racer for dummies book last night and read about the thousand of greys that were euthanized in the early 80s after their racing careers were over. It's so nice to see most have homes now. They do seem like such good companions I just can't imagine throwing them away when they are done.}

 

_{My adoption rep is calling me today. I am nearly done with my reading assignments and can't wait to meet some greys in person!}

 

_{Thank you so much for your input. I am really learning much more than I had anticipated.}

Edited October 11, 2012 by ManyBlessings

[Guest ManyBlessings]

JetCityWoman - " One brindle boy was a social butterfly who flew out of his crate and said hi to each and ever one of us. " That's my boy!! Hopefully

So different from what I had previously thought. That is really sad about the Danes. Why people let animals of any kind suffer like that is beyond me. Those pups were so cute!! And they were having fun, that's for sure. I will have to look into visiting a track. I believe there is one in KC? Time to Google.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I have one question for you, what exactly do you mean when you say "human agression"? What is your definition of agression? I ask because there are a lot of different ideas what constitues agression and I think you need to have a realistic idea of what agression is.

[Guest ManyBlessings]

I probably have my terminology wrong. And it's difficult to type what I'm thinking sometimes. I was trying to say when a dog bites a human....but I do know there is fear biting and play biting and mouthing (our Berner pup has done lots of this - they are very well known for that). I am not talking about flat out attack mode as in what some think when they think protection doberman. And I love dobes! I guess I'm trying to say biting humans when not in protection mode of the property or family. I'm sure it makes sense to the dog, unless there are underlying mental issues. I lump resource guarding and space aggression in with human aggression, if the dog shows it against a human. I don't count if dogs correct each other. I've let dogs be dogs with each other, but I'm a firm believer that a dog should not be alpha over a human. At least not in my house. I, as well as my family, need to be able to take items or food from our family dogs without fear of being bitten. I must be doing something right.....as in my 30 years of adulthood I have had many different breeds/ages/pups/rescues and raised 5 children and none of us have ever been bitten by any of our dogs. Nobody outside of our family has ever been bitten by our dogs either. I have only even been without a dog once, for a few weeks, after a rottie pup we took home died of parvo back in the 80's. And for the most part I have had more than one dog at a time. All house dogs....not kenneled outside or tied out. Family dogs.

 

I'm not sure if my idea of aggression fits what others think, but I just know what I will and will not tolerate from a dog in our home. I'm sorry if I used the wrong words! Bottom line is that I would not tolerate a dog that showed tendencies to bite while living in our home. Unless it was protecting our property or our family.

 

I have one question for you, what exactly do you mean when you say "human agression"? What is your definition of agression? I ask because there are a lot of different ideas what constitues agression and I think you need to have a realistic idea of what agression is.

[PatricksMom]

When dealing with snapping or biting it's also important to consider if there could be any physical causes--thyroid issues, is the dog in pain?

[Guest ManyBlessings]

I have seen things about thyroid problems cause that. I had not heard of that until recently. And medication for the thyroid helps them get back to normal? And yes, pain. I have not been around a dog that snapped out of pain but I can see how it can happen. You can't blame the dog and I don't think that's really being aggressive.

 

Does the thyroid problem only occure in males?

 

When dealing with snapping or biting it's also important to consider if there could be any physical causes--thyroid issues, is the dog in pain?

[JJNg]

Dogs don't bite because they feel they are "alpha over a human". The vast majority of dog bites are defensive behavior, usually a response from a dog who lacks trust and is feeling threatened. And most of the time, the dog has been trying to communicate their stress and discomfort with the situation with lots of other signals and body language before it escalates to a bite. Unfortunately, most people miss or ignore all the other signals.

 

With greyhounds, some of the 'aggression' you might see are because they are not accustomed to certain types of interactions. For example, the references to sleep startle, or being approached when they are resting or eating. Because of how they are raised and kept at tracks, they have never had to deal with these situations before because they have been in the safety of their crates.

 

This doesn't mean that all greyhounds will be uncomfortable if approached when eating or resting, nor does it mean that the ones that are uncomfortable can't be trained to accept it. Most are fine once they have been given the time to settle in and learn to trust their new family. And knowing their background and past experiences (ie. Kathleen Gilley's article) helps us understand them and help ease their adjustment.

[PatricksMom]

I have seen things about thyroid problems cause that. I had not heard of that until recently. And medication for the thyroid helps them get back to normal? And yes, pain. I have not been around a dog that snapped out of pain but I can see how it can happen. You can't blame the dog and I don't think that's really being aggressive.

 

Does the thyroid problem only occure in males?

 

When dealing with snapping or biting it's also important to consider if there could be any physical causes--thyroid issues, is the dog in pain?

 

I don't know if it's common, but we didn't treat Patrick's low thyroid originally because our vet believed on treating based on symptoms (I think most do these days), but when he bit me and urinated beyond excessively we started treating it. Whenever it got out of whack, he would bite--fortunately only me and never badly and once I started using Soloxine it never happened again.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

As JJ said above, you need to fully understand where a greyhound comes from. FORGET what you THINK you know about dogs. All this "alpha" crap and such. Your statement that in 30 years you have never been bitten, thats great, but you have never dealt with a dog that was raised as a pack animal separate from being taught to be a human surrogate (ie: every other breed of dog).

 

As JJ mentioned, you must understand the subtle communication from a dog. Of nearly everyone that I have ever know that has been bitten by a dog they all say "the dog was wagging its tail one second, then suddenly for no reason lunged and bit me". Guess what, there were many things the dog tried to do to get the human to understand its anxiety. Lip licking, whale eye, looking away, eyes darting around, muscles tensing up, yawning. The list goes on and on. Most people dont understand these are "calming signals" that dogs use.

 

Greyhounds are masters at communication becase they were not raised in a human household and taught that they cannot growl or air snap. There is nothing wrong with a dog that growls, there is a serious reason that dog is growling and instead of being defensive about a dog growling and saying "no dog will ever dare to growl at me in my house", you need to think, the poor thing must be scared or anxious about something "I" am doing to him/her.

 

So growling should not be considered agression. Growling is communication that needs to be respected because the dog is feeling anxious about something. There are times when a greyhound growls that you can say needs to be corrected, but a majority of the time, you need to examine the situation and understand "why" the dog growled.

 

Just pointing out something that you may come across as greyhounds do growl when they feel threatened or anxious and cannot excape the situation.

 

Growling does not equal attack or agression