Getting Cold Feet About Adopting A Greyhound

[Guest KatyC]

Hello,

 

I just wanted to say that I think everyone will have cold feet to some extent before getting their greyhound. It is a big commitment especially when it's your first dog and you are thinking about all the problems that could come with the dog, in an attempt to be prepared, but I think sometimes this stops you actually looking forward to the good parts and the reasons why you want a greyhound in the first place. But really any dog could have problems greyhound or other breed, but even if they do, most problems can be worked on and corrected with time.

 

I definately was nervous before we got Peggy (we have had her for a month now), because I knew that the commitment would change our everyday lives, we would be responsible for another living creature. I was mostly worried about her having separation anxiety and barking and howling when we left her, I read up about it and was completely prepared for it - and she had no problems being left alone!! In fact I think she likes it.

She doesn't cuddle with us on the sofa yet, but hopefully this will come in time. She loves being cuddled, kissed and fussed though. She can be playful and mad but also calm and quiet and gentle.

 

I just wanted to say this because all dogs are different and although other peoples dog may have the issues that you are concerned about it doesn't mean your dog will.

 

They really are easy going dogs to look after, they are well behaved in other peoples houses (even Peggy after only a few weeks) and think of the lovely home you can give one if you do decide to adopt

 

She does seem to be taking longer to try and teach her things than other dogs I have taught things too, but I'm pretty sure she will be able to learn all these things in time still. It just might take a bit longer and require a bit more patience!

Behaviour wise though she is learning things very quickly. She was scared of traffic and noises on walks and inside the house and already she now is fairly unbothered by traffic and noises on walks and really loves them. She is also less nervy and jumpy in the house - so in this sense she has picked things up very quickly.

 

Good luck with whatever you decision

But just so you know I love Peggy already, I didn't think I would so quickly. So that shows you how lovely they can be and how they can capture your heart very quickly

[Guest iclarkz]

I am not the OP, but I am picking up my grey today, and have loved reading this thread! Thanks for all the words of encouragement and experience. I am sure a lot of owners-in-waiting come here and read all the issues, and it is easy to think there are nothing but issues! I have already worried about toxic plants, osteo, SA, agression, and chewing, to name just a few. If it is anytthing like parenting, I imagine the negative aspects will be things I never even considered, and the things I worry about will come to naught. And, hopefully, the positives will vastly overshadow the negatives.

[jetcitywoman]

Ah, two things I want to comment on:

 

She's "stubborn" according to the foster mother, but easily correctable so I shouldn't have any serious issues with training.

 

This perked up my ears because she sounds exactly like my Capri. Hopefully your hound is food-motivated. If she is, then you'll have no problem training her despite her stubbornness. You can describe Capri that way - she's got very definite opinions about the world and what she wants to do or don't do. She challenges me to battles of wits on a frequent basis trying to get her way. What I really want to emphasize with a dog like this is that it's even MORE important to stick to positive training methods and never use punishment. This is true for all greyhounds, but most especially for the clever ones. She won't be motivated by making you happy, so you have to convince her why it's a good idea to do what you say. "What's in it for me" is her operative question. It will be a challenge for you to not use bribes, so a really good trainer might be helpful to you to show you how to motivate her without bribes. Reward her heavily for doing what you ask. Find and remember things that send her over the top happy, and use them as rewards. After you've established a relationship/bond, you can reward her less, but note that she probably will always bring up new things to challenge you about.

 

I only have one more worry after meeting her. It is a small worry, and I don't think it will stop me from adopting her. I just couldn't get much personality out of her. She wasn't very interested in playing or toys, she would look when you called her name, but didn't perk her ears up in interest or anything. I think maybe I just need to get used to greyhound "expressions" but to me, she always had the look a dog gives when it knows it just got in trouble. She didn't "smile" or look happy, even when the foster mom let her outside for a run. She just didn't seem to open up much or be a very happy dog. The other foster greyhound there, a boy, just seemed happier. I'm thinking maybe she's just nervous, I'm a new person, and she's only been off the track for a two months. She should warm up after a little while right?

 

She will definitely warm up to you over time. As others have said, it's a months-long bonding process. However, your patience WILL be rewarded. I've also noticed that in all of the greyhounds that I know personally, they only show their true bouncy-happy-silly sides at home where they're most relaxed. They also do know how to turn on that woe face. Those big brown melty eyes and the laid back ears.... It's part of the hound-dog charm that they lay still and just turn their eyes up to look at you which has a really guilty/sad appearance. And over time, as you bond with your dog, you'll learn her expressions and be able to tell when she's amused and happy.

[Guest KatyC]

I am not the OP, but I am picking up my grey today, and have loved reading this thread! Thanks for all the words of encouragement and experience. I am sure a lot of owners-in-waiting come here and read all the issues, and it is easy to think there are nothing but issues! I have already worried about toxic plants, osteo, SA, agression, and chewing, to name just a few. If it is anytthing like parenting, I imagine the negative aspects will be things I never even considered, and the things I worry about will come to naught. And, hopefully, the positives will vastly overshadow the negatives.

Good luck today! Look forward to seeing some pics

 

I have to say the thing I am worried about is that she wont cuddle on the sofa yet! I didn't think it would end up being something so unimportant as that - just shows it's not all problems though

[Guest jschwe]

I just wanted to add my (limited) experience. We only adopted at the beginning of December, and initially, Superbird showed no interest in toys or playing, and didn't really respond to his name until we started teaching him 'come' and other basic commands. He was very shy and always looked, like you said, as if he was in trouble for something. It has only been a few months, but he seems like a totally different dog now. He will play by himself or with us, he perks up when we talk to him, will come when he is called...all in all, he keeps acting more and more like a 'real dog'.

 

After about a month of having Superbird and thinking things were going great, he suddenly started having a lot more accidents, had a few growling (and even snapping) episodes, and was starting to display serious separation anxiety symptoms when we would leave him at home. DH and I both got very frustrated, and we had a couple weeks where I was anxious at work all day wondering what the heck I would be coming home to, and we couldn't trust him for a second in the house because we had no idea whether he'd go pee somewhere. However, long story short most of these problems were as a result of us expecting too much for him--since he is fully grown, after a couple weeks of good behaviour we started treating him too much like a member of the household which he really wasn't yet.

 

It has only been a month since this step-back, and already he is MUCH better. We set strict rules about when he goes out to do his business, and as a result he hasn't had an accident in three weeks. We addressed his resource guarding (where the growling was coming from), which initially got worse because DH's natural reaction was to respond to aggression with aggression, losing Superbird's trust. Now that we have trained 'drop it' and used a lot of treats to get him to the point where either of us can pet him when he has a bone with no reaction, we have not been growled at. We took down the crate and did hardcore alone training, something we honestly did a poor job of when we first adopted him, and he now only whines a bit when we are away, with no accidents or destruction.

 

It totally makes sense to have cold feet. We did too, but in our case it was a month AFTER we picked him up! Now that we are able to see positive change in him, and we understand each other so much better, it is totally worth it.

 

Oh--I also should mention that we have two cats, which he never really showed any interest in when we brought him home. We watched him like a hawk at first, but after seeing them run past without him even lifting his head, we were able to trust him with them. It was about a week before we stopped keeping him leashed or crated in their presence. He will still try and go after cats outside, but our cats can practically jump over his face and he won't bat an eyelash.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

How soon did you trust them without a muzzle with the cats? The dog I am considering is cat safe and lives with them in her foster home, but she's only two months off the track and I'm afraid of her reverting if the cat runs away too quickly or something. These cats will tend to sprint around the house....I wonder if they could trigger a cat safe dog to chase? I will muzzle her for a few months but I don't know when to start trusting her....could be the biggest mistake ever if I trust her too soon.

 

 

The night she came home my grey (leashed and muzzled) was really interested in the cats. She pulled on the leash and was very excited over them, but not the stiff and staring type of excitement that seemed predatory. She wanted to play.

 

The next morning while I fed her breakfast (umuzzled) I gave her enough leash to -slowly- approach one of the cats who had come over. Kitty slapped her across the nose and my hound immediately lost all interest in the cats. She refused to make eye contact with either of them for months.

 

Now, they get along fine. They don't cuddle with each other unless they're all trying to cuddle with me at the same time. Sometimes she tries to play with them, one of them will play back a bit, the other just chases her. He's being aggressive, she thinks he's playing.

 

After two years of working with her and introducing her to my ducks and chickens, I now allow her to be unleashed in the yard with my birds (only while I'm out there too), two of whom only weigh 3/4 of a pound. She ignores them completely, but I do keep her muzzle on at these times just in case, but it's never been needed.

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Edited February 4, 2013 by Jayne

[Guest 2greys2cats]

I have two cats and two greys. You SHOULD crate in the beginning, and then slowly over weeks and months work her out of the crate. You will more than likely get to the point of being able to leave her alone, but it takes time to work up to that point. Patience is key. Most take time to warm up...remember they grew up in a kennel, not a breeder's home.

As far as training lie, sit, stay... .that won't happen in 10 minutes, and probably won't happen reliably. Mine know those "tricks", but if they see something more enticing or more exciting, all bets are off. They are *sight* hounds... They are not shelties, labs, or goldens. They are independent thinkers. They have their quirks, but are a special breed...and I'll never have anything else.

You have to embrace their differences and challenges and see through all of that to love all their other qualities.

(For what it's worth, most greyhounds don't sit due to their hips/spine structure. Some do, but most don't/won't and you shouldn't force it.)

And to reiterate cleptogrey's comment: "shelties are working dogs, that's what they were bred to do and train really easily. greyhounds are sight hounds, what they were bred to do is hunt independently and think for themself. they are not herders waiting for signals like the sheltie or border collie."

Edited February 4, 2013 by 2greys2cats

[Guest mvd5555]

After about a month of having Superbird and thinking things were going great, he suddenly started having a lot more accidents, had a few growling (and even snapping) episodes, and was starting to display serious separation anxiety symptoms when we would leave him at home. DH and I both got very frustrated, and we had a couple weeks where I was anxious at work all day wondering what the heck I would be coming home to, and we couldn't trust him for a second in the house because we had no idea whether he'd go pee somewhere. However, long story short most of these problems were as a result of us expecting too much for him--since he is fully grown, after a couple weeks of good behaviour we started treating him too much like a member of the household which he really wasn't yet.

This is what I'm terrified of. This is my first owned dog, and I'm taking this on alone. I think I would completely fall apart if I started having problem with growling/aggression. Peeing on the rug I can deal with, but I have no idea how to handle an aggressive dog.

[a_daerr]

This is what I'm terrified of. This is my first owned dog, and I'm taking this on alone. I think I would completely fall apart if I started having problem with growling/aggression. Peeing on the rug I can deal with, but I have no idea how to handle an aggressive dog.

 

Any greyhound is likely to growl at one point or another. It is generally not an act of aggression, rather the dog communicating that he is anxious or uncomfortable (which can happen a lot as your dog is exposed to new environments and stimuli). Hopefully that's not a dealbreaker for you.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

This is what I'm terrified of. This is my first owned dog, and I'm taking this on alone. I think I would completely fall apart if I started having problem with growling/aggression. Peeing on the rug I can deal with, but I have no idea how to handle an aggressive dog.

It is not an "aggressive dog" this is a dog who is communicating his/her discomfort with the actions taking place. Please read this excerpt by K.L Gilley in it's entirety to better understand

 

 

Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning.

 

Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep.

 

You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate.

You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in a turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and every thing else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest.

 

No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate-- or it is not.

 

And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association”; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone.

 

In my "mobile abode," the Greyhounds each have several unique names, but they also have a single common name: it is Everybody. We continue to do things as a group, pack or as we are affectionately known in-house, by Kathleen's Husbandit, "The Thundering Herd."

 

Back to those who have not been permanently homed. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that.

 

Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, "He won't tell me when he has to go out." What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says, "My name is No-No Bad Dog. What's yours?" To me that is not even funny.

All the protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this "someone," who has crept up on him, isn't going to eat him for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input.

 

Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go though walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car.

 

Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle.

 

He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns.

How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adoptor when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's "fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped with the social skills of a six-year old human. But you can help him.

Basically, adoption programs can be divided into two types. There are those who have access to their adoptees before placement and those who do not.

If you have access to your dogs before adoption, either through a holding kennel situation or foster home program, the behavior modification and training can begin at once and extend into the new home. If the adoption program is demand and supply, most of your counseling and advice will be done over the phone and through handouts. Now, remember, 50% of the world is illiterate and the other 50% can't remember what they read five minutes ago.

 

Both the dog and the new family must come to an agreement on the rules of the house. The problem on the human side, is they cannot be expected to know how to communicate what they like and do not like. Humans are extremely limited in their responses to distressing situations: curse it, beat it, kill it, nuke it or get rid of it.

 

All the things you do for these Greyhounds: the neutering, teeth cleaning, the worming, the tick panels, the collar and leash, the book--that's all real nice. (My first Greyhound didn't even have a rabies shot.) However, what John Q. Public wants is a dog who does not jump up on him or his family, leaves the food on the counter, walks on a lead, and does not growl when told to move over.

Is this too much to ask? From what I have gathered so far, the worst things often happen to a Greyhound after he is adopted.

 

Those of you with access to your dogs before placement could solve these problems before hand to a large extent. Both groups could offer humane solutions to fosters or owners when they do crop up.

 

An adoptable Greyhound must understand what discipline is--the cause and effect part. He must understand that certain behavior, like jumping on people is NEVER to be tolerated. To let the average human have first crack at disciplining a Greyhound, when they don't even know how to raise their own young, is foolhardy at best.

 

First the philosophy: Pain and fear teach distrust, alienation, and prevent bonding. A dog who runs from you cannot be disciplined until you have cornered him. At that point, he will wet his pants in fear or cause you pain before he thinks you will cause him some: flight or fight.

Our goal is to take the behavior we know he will never need, (which might endanger his life, like counter surfing), or that he finds rewarding, and we do not, and change the pay off, without pain or fear. We are permitted to aggravate, irritate, annoy, disturb, fluster, harass, startle, embarrass, distract, and pull a few rude surprises.

 

Teaching a Greyhound what discipline means, is the best tool you can equip him with for his new life. Then you must equip his family so they will pick up the squirt bottle and not the belt. Being a family pet is no easy job, but you can increase the odds of him not getting pink slipped.

 

Remember two things. Not all methods have the same effect. I cannot use the juice bottle on Chubby; she has never tasted something she didn't like. I cannot use the slightest neck scruff on Waco, because she cries big crocodile tears at the top of her lungs. Next, and most important: You must counsel your adoptees that these methods are not to be used by children. Children have no business disciplining anything. Some of these tools will give absolute power and you remember that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have seen it turn even the mildest child into a raging tyrant.

 

I do have an opinion about humans, regardless of age, who receive punishment from a Greyhound. The ones who get bitten are the ones who break a Greyhound's rules. There is no such thing as an unprovoked bite from a sane, sound of body and temperament Greyhound.

[Guest mvd5555]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

[vjgrey]

Not all, but most greyhounds fall into the category of "mellow, easy to train." When they come to you as a retired racer, they've already had several years of being trained, following rules and routines, and learning and adapting to their trainers' expectations. The ones who can't/won't do that fail out of racing school and never race.

 

It does take a while for them to learn YOUR rules and expectations, which are totally different than the rules and expectations they were used to at the track. They're still dogs, and ALL dogs take work.If you can't handle that, you should definitely wait to get any dog.

[Batmom]

Couple things:

 

- Compared to many dogs, greyhounds don't have very expressive faces to our eyes. Not as much flesh there to make expressions quite so obvious. You'll get used to that and learn to read the subtleties .

 

- Growling is usually fear or startlement rather than aggression. It's communication -- don't do that, watch out, I feel trapped, yikes .... Occasionally dogs also growl in play, especially with each other and with toys. You really don't see much outright aggression toward people with ex-racing greyhounds, which is one of the attractive traits of the breed as a whole.

 

- One of my dogs can be a bit reserved in public and with people she's just met. But, she makes friends pretty quickly and is a serious cuddler. The other of my current dogs is more reserved at home -- he won't ASK for anything. Yet he still loves to be petted and will squiggle up closer to you if you choose to pet him. Takes all kinds .

 

Good luck with your decision!

[Guest AngelPup]

When I first adopted Enza, I started reading GT and thought, "holy son of a...what have I done!!??" I kept staring at her waiting for her into a Kujo and eat me in my sleep. Every problem I freaked out about never happened. Ever thing that never crossed my mind....did occur. SA monster? Nope. Hate being alone? Prefers it immensely - in fact, I think she'd like it if I moved out. Freaking out over her eating mushrooms, rushing her to the E-vet, and calling my parents at 1 AM and crying so hard they thought Enza had died....never cross my mind. Realizing this dog owns my heart? heard about - happened. Wouldn't change a thing.

 

Now I liken reading GT as a newbie to going on to Wedmd with a mild cold and walking away convinced you have ebola, bird flu, and bubonic plague all rolled into one.

 

You will be fine. You're dog will be fine. And if not...we will likely tell you a thousand different ways to make it fine. So go get your dog- he or she is waiting for you.

 

I love this post--so funny....and true! I too was starting to become a bit nervous about adopting a greyhound in the spring after reading about all the problems. I've been trying to keep in mind that only people with issues post, but there just seemed to be so many of them. This thread is VERY reassuring and us potential newbies appreciate all the posts from experienced grayhound guardians! These positive replies certainly outnumber the negatives....

 

I'm getting even MORE excited to get our pooch!

[a_daerr]

I wouldn't make the commitment if you're half-hearted. It's normal to have some nervousness, but it sounds like you have major concerns.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

 

I agree with a-daerr, it sounds like you have major reservations, and maybe you should wait.

 

Most of the greyhound owners I know in person don't even bother training their greys to do much. By nature they're such easygoing dogs that you mostly don't need to teach them obedience in order to have a polite dog to live with. A Sheltie with no obedience training can be a complete terror to have around the house, most retired racers who haven't had obedience training just sleep on the couch. Mine is the only grey in my local Meet and Greet group who will reliably sit, stay, shake etc., but that doesn't mean the others are being terrors, they're not. They just stand around and let people pet them.

 

Like the others said, growling is just communication. It's actually a good thing. In the beginning you and the dog will have to learn to get to know and trust each other, getting growled at a time or two teaches you the dog's boundaries. The dog getting told off (get off my couch you growly thing) for not wanting to share their space lets them know your boundaries. My grey growled and snapped at me a few times, both of us learned, and now I can get away with all sorts of stupidity while she's laying down, because she trusts me which came with time. Things like draping my legs across her might have gotten me bit at first now don't even wake her up.

 

It was easy to teach her to share. The moment she growled at us for sitting near her, moving, or touching her when she was on our couch she got kicked off and not allowed back on for a while. After a few times she would even remove herself from the couch for growling.

[Jackandgrey]

The degree of trepidation you are showing after 4 pages of people saying the hugest majority of greys adapt to homes with no significant issues or issues easily overcome with time and patience would make me think that perhaps you do need to step back and rethink your decision.

[Guest grey_dreams]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

 

There are no guarantees about anything in life. And no perfection either. If you expect that you will be given a "perfect" dog, then your expectations are unreasonable and it's really not fair to the dog. I did want to comment on the fact that you describe yourself as "not very confident". The most beautiful thing about the relationships that I have built with the dogs who bless my life (two galgos and one ex-racing greyhound) is how much they have taught me about myself and about life. You might find that the trust and love contained in the eyes that look at you help you to understand that you can be confident. You might find that the dog will teach you more about yourself than you ever imagined. You might find that it is one of the strongest relationships you have ever co-authored.

 

But if you just want life to be absolutely, totally predictable, all mapped out without any variation, without any learning or giving or growing or compromise, then by all means, the adoption of a sentient being may not be the best move for you at this time in your life.

[Trihounds]

The degree of trepidation you are showing after 4 pages of people saying the hugest majority of greys adapt to homes with no significant issues or issues easily overcome with time and patience would make me think that perhaps you do need to step back and rethink your decision.

 

Totally agree. It sounds like you need a little more time around the breed via meet and greets or volunteering at an adoption group kennel, or something like that. With additional experience, you will be a more confident owner and that will in turn set your 'hound' relationship up for success. Good luck.

[Guest RMarie]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

If you're not ready, then don't do it. It's that simple. Don't beat yourself up.

 

James was/is my first dog. We got him in August of last year and we're completely smitten. He took some getting used to, I'm not going to lie. I'd lived with my in-laws for a time and they had labs; that was the kind of dog I was used to...the tail wagging, open-mouthed, tongue-hanging out smile, the expressive face, etc. James was not/is not that kind of dog. Although he wags his tail at us now when we return home, he didn't in the beginning, and he still doesn't really wag it unless someone walks in the door (even strangers...he presumes all people like him). But, we know he likes us and his new home. He happily joins us on the couch now, but up until a month or so ago, he was perfectly content to be by himself in his crate or on the floor. He doesn't sleep in our bed...or even in the same room as us, but he's still attached to us, as he follows us from room to room, stands by us while we potty (hey, we do it to him! ha!), and even squeezes between me and the bathroom vanity as I get ready in the mornings. He's clingy, but not obsessive. He's an only dog and stays home alone while we're at work; no evidence of separation anxiety. And after only one basic obedience course, James can sit, down, wait (stay), and look (all of which no longer require treats).

 

We'd read Greyhounds for Dummies in anticipation of adopting a greyhound. We were ready for a challenging dog; what we got was a bomb-proof sweetheart. Will that be the case for you? Who knows. No one can guarantee you a problem-free dog...no matter the breed. You're going about adopting the right way, though; you're concerned whether you're ready for the dog, not whether the dog is ready for you.

 

Good luck.

[Guest jschwe]

This is what I'm terrified of. This is my first owned dog, and I'm taking this on alone. I think I would completely fall apart if I started having problem with growling/aggression. Peeing on the rug I can deal with, but I have no idea how to handle an aggressive dog.

 

I didn't mean to scare you with that. Superbird is not an aggressive dog, in fact he has no problem with us touching him when he's asleep, he couldn't care less about the cats, and when little dogs jump all over him trying to play he just stands there. It was more just a communication issue--he was trying to tell us something and we weren't willing to listen. It took us a matter f days to get past it.

 

We pinpointed the source--he had a particularly interesting toy or treat and would growl to keep us away since he thought we would just take it. We gave him treats BEFORE he could growl, and as soon as he realized that we would give him treats and not do anything bad, he was just fine. Honestly this was the least difficult of the issues we worked with. I can't speak for every dog, but in this case it was just a matter of understanding.

[Hubcitypam]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

My mantra is "trust your gut" and if your gut says wait then do so. HOWEVER, do not let things posted on here scare you into thinking that greyhounds as a breed are agressive problem filled dogs. They are not.

 

Someone else posted that they were so glad they didn't join online forums until after they got their grey. Me too. When I got my first grey in 1999 I had done some general research on the breed, but hadn't done all the now required reading or extensive online research - I hadn't had my first computer too long at that point. I left IL, stopped in Abilene KS and picked up the most neurotic unsocialized dog that had never left her pen at the farm after her owner died. I had no idea I was supposed to treat her differently because she was a greyhound so I treated her like every other dog I'd ever owned. She taught me about greyhounds and I taught her about life as a pet.

 

Since then I've had 6 greyhounds of my own and far more than 100 fosters. None of my personal greys has ever growled at me, but they have growled at each other when one was being a bother. Rex did bite me in a bout of sleep agression when he was fairly new. To put things in perspective I also have a scar on my arm from a Poodle bite about 10 years ago. I've been growled at by fosters for various reasons, food, other dogs, etc. but that was when I had 4-6 so fosters at a time and there was a lot of jockeying.

 

They are dogs. They are trainable, but you aren't going to get the smiling self satisfaction of a lab after they obey a command. Greys are as my vet said, stoic dogs. He swears they are the hardest breed to be able to tell if they are in pain. Greyhounds are easy going very non demanding dogs, but I'm kind of sensing you want a dog more antimated and eager to please.

 

Good luck and trust your gut.

 

 

 

[Brandiandwe]

I'm not blaming the dog, I understand why they would act the way they did. In fact I think it's a miracle that they can adapt as easily as they do. I'm trying to figure out if I can handle this on my own, if this is a good type of dog for a relatively inexperienced and not confident owner who wants a mellow, easy to train dog. I'm starting to think this won't work out after all. Maybe I should wait.

 

Look. I was a complete dog novice. I had never owned a dog before in my life. Ever. You have - you've owned shelties.

 

Greys are, for the most part, mellow. They are not trainable in the same way as a sheltie. This doesn't mean that they're difficult to train but it may mean that they don't pick up some of the 'obedience' stuff as easily. My little Paige is easily one of the most polite dogs you'll ever meet. Obedience? Forget it. She doesn't like to sit, won't down on command and has hopeless recall. But I think she's well trained in every other way.

 

Please keep in mind that, when all's said and done, these are just dogs. That's all. A sheltie or any other working breed is going to be higher maintenance, higher needs for everything than most greys. But if you unzip the package, you have a dog in there. This forum is full of people who are obsessed with greyhounds (and other sighthounds). Go to any other breed forum and you'll find discussions of similar problems.

 

Aggression is something you don't want in a dog. But growling isn't aggression and no adoption group worth its salt is going to adopt out an aggressive dog full stop,and to a first time dog owner, would be completely insane to adopt out a dog with prey drive issues, resource guarding and so on. (There are people on this board who 'specialise' in those types of dogs. I take my hat off to them, but wouldn't take a dog like that ever).

 

Take your time with this decision. Think about all the positives and, if after thinking about that and the four pages you've got here of people saying that the problems are a minority and most can be worked through or don't exist at all, then wait to adopt and spend some more time around the breed.

[Batmom]

Whereabouts are you? (Apologies if I missed that earlier.) Is there an adoption group near by, with active volunteers in your area? Do the adoption dogs come to adopters from a kennel or from a foster home? Foster homes with many dogs or just 1-2 dogs?

 

I think trepidation is normal among thoughtful people. And the internet lends itself to worrying out loud about possibilities that are often less than likely.

 

If there is an adoption group with nearby volunteers to support new adopters, you'd have your trepidations covered. Or you could attend some events, maybe volunteer for meets & greets or kennel duty, and get a feel for what these dogs are like and what your adult dog-handling tolerances are.

 

If I had poured my thoughts out in public during the 3 weeks after I adopted Zema, I'm sure any reasonable person would have told me to send her back posthaste. And yet, we got over that.

[EnzaFerrari]

Enza was my first dog on my own. We had a few stand offs (still do - she wins most of them now) and she maybe growled once or twice at me. I didn't freak out because it wasn't like she was attacking me, she was simply letting me know that she hated nail clippers and I worked around it. My parents have had shelties my entire live and they are far more "in your face" than greyhounds. I think the most aggressive Enza has ever been with me was when we got into a battle over a dead fish head - she wasn't going to drop it and I wasn't going to let her eat it.

 

And yes, I was nervous about adopting a dog on my own. But the cool little trick is that you don't end up alone. Most of the friends I have these days I met through my dog - neighbors I met while walking her, doggie happy hours, greyhound events, etc and so on. I know it seems scary and I swear I almost returned her once a week the first month or so because I just didn't think I could do it. And it was all me - she was fine and just waiting for me to get a grip.

 

I also hated big dogs my entire life after being attacked by a German Shepard as a kid - it seems my in-heat dog fell asleep on my jacket when I was 7 and the dog was the patrol dog for the local farmer in Germany (where I grew up). Since then, I hated big dogs and even hated visiting my friend when she was house sitting for her boss in the area. The woman had two huge dogs that freaked me out and I would always walk very silently past them and freeze when they walked up to me. It was only in the last year or so that my friend burst out laughing on a walk with her kid and Enza and said, "you do realize that my boss had two greyhounds, right?" I. Am. A. Moron. The point of telling this rather embarrassing story is that if I can get over the utter terror big dogs struck in me, you will be fine.