New To Forum; Potentially Adopting First Greyhound Soon!

[Guest AngelPup]

Hi all. I'm excited that I might be adopting a retired racer come spring! We were going to adopt last spring, but my husband lost his job, so that basically put all non-essential expenses on hold. Looks like he'll be getting a job soon, so we're hoping and praying it will all work out.

 

We actually almost adopted a greyhound several years ago when our children were small, but ended up finding an adorable lab/shepherd mix puppy at a local shelter--she was perfect for our young family and very tolorant/patient with the antics of very young children. Three years ago, she passed away suddenly at the age of 10 due to a ruptured tumor in her abdomen--it was heartbreaking for us all. She was a puppy at heart right to the very end.

 

I wasn't sure whether we would ever get another dog, but lately I've really been wanting a furry companion and to get more active. Angel was my walking buddy and I haven't been able to get back into it since she left us.

 

I've done a ton or research and all roads seem to point to Greyhounds as the perfect breed for us. But I'd like to get some feedback from actual greyhound guardians.

 

I'm pretty sure the Greyhound fits this, but we are looking for a non-hyper, playful, silly/goofey, affectionate dog that will enjoy walks, going on hikes, watching tv, and intelligent/eager to please. Our previous dog was almost perfect in every way, except for the fact that she was VERY shy with people she didn't know and was extremely afraid of men. She did great with obedience, but I wanted to do therapy with her, but her tempermant wasn't right for that. I know some greyhounds can be very timid/shy, but most don't seem that way at all.

 

Our girls are teenagers now, so the activity level in our home has gone down quite a bit. They are typical teenage girls and do argue/bicker on occasion. Our house is mostly quiet, but with a few loud/crazy periods during the week. I know greyhounds like quiet/peaceful homes, but can they tolorate raised voices every so often?

 

My husband and I are going to a meet and greet at Petco for one group and a kennel for another group this weekend. This may be a mistake, since I'm afraid I'll fall in love with one and not be able to take it home yet. But I also want to get to know the different groups and learn what they provide and what the don't, etc.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for us?

[JohnF]

Hi, Welcome and a big Thank You for looking at giving a retired racer a forever home.

 

They come in all kinds of personalities and energy levels but are at heart 'Zoomie Dogs' that love to sprint around for a couple of minutes and then mooch. I don't know what kind of hiking you're into but my Peggy says that once youve gone 2 miles out that's plenty far enough, does a poop (learned behaviour from short morning walks), thruns around and faces 'home'. She had just over a 2 mile normal walk this afternoon - town and park with a short free run - and when she got back in she was straight up on my bed and asleep in next to no time.

 

Best thing to do is to be totally honest with the adoption group and tell them exactly what you want. Bear in mid that cat and small dog-freindly may be very important to you; and also think that it can be very problematic letting a grey off leash where another breed might have been fine.

 

Hope to hear you've brought one back home soon.

[schultzlc]

Welcome to GT! Good luck to you as you find the right hound for your home!

[PrairieProf]

Welcome! Yes, 99% of all greyhounds will be able to tolerate your daughters. You are right that the majority are not timid. Mine is a total affection-hoochie who loves everybody and would be a perfect therapy dog; she wants to go up and get petted by every stranger she sees, and isn't afraid of anything or any situation. She also is a great walking buddy -- has no problem with an hourlong walk, except in hot weather (they really aren't very heat-tolerant).

 

Basically, tell your adoption group what you are looking for and they will help match you with a dog that fits your lifestyle.

[a_daerr]

My suggestion is to work with your local adoption group closely, preferably one that does matching. Some groups are more lax and will let you adopt whichever dog you "connect with" in person. But it sounds like you have a lot of requests, so I would allow an experienced coordinator match you with one that most closely meets your criteria... Don't get discouraged if it takes a little bit of time. Also, because all of your prior experience is with a lab-mix, you'll need to go into the greyhound adoption with a very open mind. Greys are extremely different from labs. They're challenging to train and (as you'll note from the pages of Training and Behavioral threads), most have their own special quirks. I don't mean to say that greyhounds are less affectionate, but in general, they are more sensitive and take a longer time to warm up and trust people.

 

It sounds like your last dog was very special to you. One other piece of advice is to make the new dog a "clean slate" and try not to compare it to a dog from your past. Chances are that you're going to have a vastly different experience, just because the breeds are so different. By taking an individualistic approach, you lessen the chances that you'll be disappointed in the end. I also recommend doing as much research as possible beforehand! Read Greyhounds for Dummies and if you have kids, Childproofing Your Dog.

Edited January 11, 2013 by a_daerr

[PrairieProf]

I have to say that I think that is an unnecessarily negative view. My greyhound is certainly not a lab constantly looking to please, but we've done lots of obedience classes and she does just as well as all the dogs of all the other breeds. Different strengths and weaknesses but not "hard to train" at all. And needing time to "warm up and trust people" is entirely individual. I just met my friend's new hound -- a broodie straight off the farm -- she's been home less than a week and she's giving kisses like crazy. Lots of confident dogs acclimate to home life very quickly.

 

"Training and Behavior" is where people post with problems ... problems that most people are not having most of the time. So this can be really scary to read when you're new, just like reading "Health and Medical" would make you think all greyhounds are sick/injured all the time!

Edited January 11, 2013 by PrairieProf

[Guest AngelPup]

Awesome!! I'm even more excited! My husband just found out he got the job, so we really just need a few months to get more financially stable and get our back yard fenced and we should be good to go!

 

As far as small dogs and cats go, I'm really not a small dog person and I'm allergic to cats, so no issues there. However, my neighbor does have a very friendly cat that comes by every once in a while to say, "hi." He's very friendly (my neighbor), so I figured I'd just let him know our plans and warn him. I think Dexter (the cat) will definitely cease coming by once he finds out that there's a BIG scarry looking (to him) dog next door.

[a_daerr]

I have to say that I think that is an unnecessarily negative view. My greyhound is certainly not a lab constantly looking to please, but we've done lots of obedience classes and she does just as well as all the dogs of all the other breeds. Different strengths and weaknesses but not "hard to train" at all. And needing time to "warm up and trust people" is entirely individual. I just met my friend's new hound -- a broodie straight off the farm -- she's been home less than a week and she's giving kisses like crazy. Lots of confident dogs acclimate to home life very quickly.

 

Not being negative, just honest. I've been seeing TONS of posts on here in T&B lately from new grey owners with questions like, "Help! How long until he will adjust?" "Help! My dog has SA!" "Help! My dog is growling at me!" I love greys (obviously!) and I'd never try to talk someone out of adopting one. But if OP's only other experience has been with a lab, then it would benefit her to know some of those things up front. That's all!

[Guest AngelPup]

Oh, I've done a TON of research (I'm anal like that)--my family thinks I'm obsessed. Ok, perhaps I am. I've read several books on retired racers, including Greyhounds for Dummies. I've also been reading the many posts on this site and visited several greyhound sites to learn as much as I can. I do understand that they may need extra time to become used to home life and us and we will definitely keep that in mind.

 

As far as hiking, I'm not talking major hikes, just short trails. I'm not a jogger/runner or extreme walker/hiker. I do like to take walks, but usually not for more than 30 minutes to one hour at the most. I'm a "sprinter" myself, so I do feel that a grey would work out well in that department.

 

I do have experience with other breeds. I had an Irish Setter growing up--they are extremely active (hyper) and not easy to train--very independent, a mystery mutt, and had a sheltie mix that would nip at our ankles and hurd us when excited. We briefly had an Akita mix puppy, but it was extremely dominent and actually became aggressive with us, so we had to take him back. He was very aloof and didn't want anything to do with us.

[Guest AngelPup]

No offense taken, btw.

Angel was my last dog, but definitely not my only. She was special and I'll always treasure her, but do realize that every dog is unique and deserves to be special to their guardians in their own way.

[a_daerr]

No offense taken, btw.

Angel was my last dog, but definitely not my only. She was special and I'll always treasure her, but do realize that every dog is unique and deserves to be special to their guardians in their own way.

 

Thanks I've been a mentor to a few new adopters over the years. And there were several people who told me, "I wish the adoption group was more up front and honest with me" about some of the common greyhound quirks like resource guarding, separation anxiety, fear-behaviors, etc. That's why I always like to be real with people and make sure they have honest expectations going into their adoption. If you're prepared and have done your research, then you'll be fine. Good luck finding the right one.

[Guest undergreysspell]

Welcome and good luck. You really sound like you've thought this out and done your research ! I was not nearly as prepared as you and was very lucky in that our adoption group recommended which dog would be ideal for our situation - and she totally is perfect. Just communicate with them and I'm sure they'll find you the perfect pup !! Congratulations on your husband's job and make sure you post lots of pictures when you finally adopt!!!

[JenniferS]

Congratulations and kudos to you for doing your research. The more you find out about greyhounds, the more you will love them. I basically fell into my first greyhound with no experience or knowledge whatsoever, pretty much took him home blindly, but he was the love of my life and started me down the path of a world filled with greyhounds. He was a problem child too, had a lot of aggression issues (probably on the more rare side) and I had to get help and knowledge after adopting hm. But he was still the best dog I ever had and I've never looked back. I agree they are not the breed for everyone, but it sounds like you are ready

[Guest AngelPup]

Thanks! I'm really getting excited.

[Busderpuddle]

Good luck to you in your search for your new companion. When we were in the adoption process I told the lady who came to our home exactly what we were looking for and what we couldn't tolerate. She told us to look at 2 that she felt would fit perfectly and one of them was one we had chosen by looking at the photos. Ruby has been perfect for us and exactly as the lady told us. She has some quirky stuff but nothing we weren't prepared to deal with. Usually the adoption people really know the dogs well and can help make the right choice. Let us know when you get him/her !

[Guest AngelPup]

We took a ride up north to visit a meet and greet for one rescue, which ended up being a bust because they had the wrong date on their website, and then visited a kennel in the area that's open all day seven days. Spoke with the rescue director and some of the volunteers and grabbed some info to take home and read.

 

We took a couple for a walk and they were SO cute. We actually REALLY liked one of their new girls--very sweet. She's a leaning cow dog kisser. She didn't seem to be nervous at all and walked very well. She did this funny backward walk into us every so often--I think it was a response to the margingale collar maybe getting too tight, but she never really pulled.

 

The male brindle was very handsome and younger. He was nice on a lead too, well, until he spotted a white pet bunny that apparently lives next door to the kennel (what are they thinking letting bunnies run free next to a greyhound kennel?!?). Weird. Anyway, we were able to distract him and continue our walk.

 

After seeing the dogs, I think I'd feel much more comfortable with a smaller one, since some of those boys are HUGE. I'm not sure I'd be able to handle a very large dog. There was one that was VERY handsome, but CRAZY excitable...and huge.

 

I keep thinking about that little cow dog.....DANG! I wish I was ready to take in a dog right now! I was going to make appointments to visit the other two kennels in the area and learn more about their rescue groups, but I think I should just wait until we're closer to the time we can actually adopt. It's torture looking at dogs and knowing you can't adopt them!

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

We took a ride up north to visit a meet and greet for one rescue, which ended up being a bust because they had the wrong date on their website, and then visited a kennel in the area that's open all day seven days. Spoke with the rescue director and some of the volunteers and grabbed some info to take home and read.

 

We took a couple for a walk and they were SO cute. We actually REALLY liked one of their new girls--very sweet. She's a leaning cow dog kisser. She didn't seem to be nervous at all and walked very well. She did this funny backward walk into us every so often--I think it was a response to the margingale collar maybe getting too tight, but she never really pulled.

 

The male brindle was very handsome and younger. He was nice on a lead too, well, until he spotted a white pet bunny that apparently lives next door to the kennel (what are they thinking letting bunnies run free next to a greyhound kennel?!?). Weird. Anyway, we were able to distract him and continue our walk.

 

After seeing the dogs, I think I'd feel much more comfortable with a smaller one, since some of those boys are HUGE. I'm not sure I'd be able to handle a very large dog. There was one that was VERY handsome, but CRAZY excitable...and huge.

 

I keep thinking about that little cow dog.....DANG! I wish I was ready to take in a dog right now! I was going to make appointments to visit the other two kennels in the area and learn more about their rescue groups, but I think I should just wait until we're closer to the time we can actually adopt. It's torture looking at dogs and knowing you can't adopt them!

Haha, I am waiting until the bf agrees to a second grey, and I know how hard it is to not take them home immediately when you find one! Don't completely disregard the big boys, they may surprise you! My boy is big by dog standards (not necessarily the biggest male greyhound, however) and he is the SWEETEST, most relaxed and laid back hound! Right now, my group has two boys that are quite large, but very very mellow. In fact, I often think that the girls are far more of a handful than the boys! I am biased, though! It's great that you are going out to the kennel/meet and greets before you adopt. The more prepared you are, the smoother the adaptation will be for you and your new hound. I adopted my first and only grey almost a year ago (11 months) and it has been such an amazing experience!

[vjgrey]

New adoptions are SO exciting. Adopting my first greyhound was totally life-changing, and I've had dogs all my life. For some reason, these guys are just extra special.

 

Re: the huge boys - I'm probably biased, because the big boys are my favorites - the bigger the better, in my opinion. However, if you adopt one, I think you'll find that something strange happens. After a few weeks or a few months, they stop looking so huge to you. I think that it's partially because you just get used to it and partially because even the biggest greyhounds can squeeze themselves into the smallest spots. After a while, they just don't seem as big as they actually are.

[Guest AngelPup]

LOL ! Yeah, I do like big dogs--always have. But my main concern is that I wouldn't be able to lift them if I had to (bath time, getting in/out of van, etc.) or support them while teaching him to go up and down stairs, etc.

 

Angel was a 60 pound mutt and I remember my back killing me after giving her a bath (of course, she fought me most of the time), and I had to have my husband pick her up when she became sick to bring her to the e-vet. My husband has a bad back and we're not spring chickens anymore. LOL

[a_daerr]

LOL ! Yeah, I do like big dogs--always have. But my main concern is that I wouldn't be able to lift them if I had to (bath time, getting in/out of van, etc.) or support them while teaching him to go up and down stairs, etc.

 

I have two big boys. Henry is 76 lbs. and Truman is 81 lbs. I'm 135 and have no difficulty handling them both, even though together they outweigh me. To be honest, I've never really had to lift them for anything. They jump into our Jeep with ease. Our local dog wash has rubber-backed ramps so they can walk into the tub. When we taught stairs, we didn't "lift," rather, just guided them by the collar. I think the only thing you might have to worry about is if your dog badly injured multiple legs and couldn't walk, then you might have to help them to the car or something. Sort of a "worst case scenario" kind of thing. With our adoption group, size usually isn't too important for most people. They're all big dogs (even the smallest females are usually 60+ lbs) and you don't ever really have to lift them for anything.

 

Be forewarned, usually the people who say they want a tiny female end up going home with a big male!

[Guest AngelPup]

LOL! Oh, that is what will probably happen. Anytime I think I don't want something, I end up getting it and loving it!

 

But you sure did reassure me. I had spoken with an ex greyhound rescue volunteer and it sounded as though she was really trying to disuade me from adopting a greyhound. She volunteers with another breed rescue now (another breed we were considering), so perhaps she really just wanted me to adopt THAT breed instead. ? Anyway, she asked how old me and my husband were (yes, I know, very rude, but I wanted honest opinions, so I told her). She said the two greyhounds she had were afraid of everything and they had to lift them into their SUV every weekend (apparently they had a vacation home). It got to be too much for them (they are around the same age as dh and me). I had asked her about using a ramp for the SUV, but she said they refused to use it. I really became concerned about that after talking with her, so that is why I thought I should stick with a smaller greyhound.

 

The other breed I was looking at was perfect as far as size and temperment, but they need a TON of exercise and can be hyper. I just don't have the energy or time for them.

 

But if what this lady told me isn't exactly accurate, than what the heck?! I'd take the biggest one as long as the temperment/personality was what I was looking for!

[Guest kmcmcf]

Congrats on your decision to adopt! I'm waiting on a girl to train as a service dog and know of several who are therapy dogs, so if you tell your adoption group what you're looking for, they'll definitely be able to find you a fit eventually (or even right off the bat if you get lucky).

 

But a warning as to your posts wanting a smaller girl - my girl's a non-racer and one of the most petite dogs my group had seen, under 60lbs and without the muscular definition of racers, but she's still a huge, leggy dog. Even the tiny ones seem to be, it's just that the huge males are even more so! They curl up pretty small though, and 60lbs-80lbs really isn't that much to lift when you really want to if you're able-bodied and go from your legs.