Adopting A Galgo In Southern Ontario

[selena]

Hi everyone. My name is Selena and I don't yet have a hound of any kind, but I am very interested in adopting a galgo. I have been in love with sighthounds (starting with retired racing greys) for years and finally am *almost* in a position to adopt (ie. I've finally convinced my family, but we have an elderly cat that doesn't deserve the stress at this stage in her life).

 

I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the process of adopting a galgo from any of the organizations that you're familiar with (I've looked extensively through the available dogs at Scooby and FBM for example)... is there anyone bringing galgos in to Ontario? how much does it cost, how long does it take, is there someone at the other end who can give more information about the dogs on the site, what if the dog turns out to be inappropriate in some way? I have lots of questions.

No need to hurry with any of this info, as I'm not in a rush at this point, but thought I should start a conversation with someone who knows how this works. This will be my first dog and I'm super excited.

[robinw]

Hello from Kitchener. I live with two galgos. One I brought home from FBM myself and the other I adopted through SHUG in the US. He originally came from BaasGalgo. If you were at the GRA picnic, I was the person with the galgos

 

On October 12 I will be transporting two galgos from Spain (BaasGalgo) to After the Track Adoption group, located in the Toronto area. Here is their contact info. I think it's very important to adopt through a group, even if you were to bring home a dog yourself, like I did with Iker. A group can advise you of rules and regulations, provide help and advice and just make life much easier. When I adopted Iker I sent an application to GRIN, just as a formality so I would have a group to fall back on, but did everything myself, including choosing the dog when I was at FBM, returning for him six months later, transporting, etc. I don't recommend going that route to somebody that doesn't have a lot of dog and sighthound experience. I believe Greyhound Pets of Atlantic Canada adopts out dogs from Scooby and US groups like SHUG and SAGE will adopt to Canada.

 

Where do you live? If you would like, maybe we can meet someplace and you can meet my galgos.

Edited June 26, 2014 by robinw

[selena]

Hi Robinw! I'm in Hamilton, so fairly close by. I would love to meet your galgos sometime. I've done a lot of reading about greys and galgos and the differences between them but I have never met a sighthound in person and that seems like something I should do before adopting one! I really wanted to come to the GRA picnic but wasn't able to unfortunately.

 

Thanks for your suggestion re: adopting through a group. I will definitely take that into consideration. If you go through a group does the group always choose your hound for you? I've got some fairly specific ideas of what dog I want based on what I think will fit best with our family and I'd love to be able to choose with some help from the experts but not have the experts choose for me completely.

[robinw]

Nope, often you can choose your own hound. I know of people who have chosen a hound, then contact adoption groups looking for transport and support.

[jetcitywoman]

Hi Selena,

I work with Scooby North America and as it sounds, we adopt galgos from Scooby Medina to the North American continent. Actually we recently limited our geographical scope to the eastern half of North America because it was too hard to accept returns from the entire continent, and we stand by our dogs. Since you're in Ontario, you're in our area, and actually one of our founding members lives there also, so she (or Robin, who we also love and trust) could do your home visit when you're ready to adopt.

 

Our policies are modelled after policies common to greyhound adoption, since we all originated in that world. You submit an application telling us about your home and family, and you can specify either the exact dog you want or the type of dog and let us pick. We'll do a phone interview just to make sure you have educated yourself about galgos and know what owning one entails. Then we do a home visit, just to take the conversation one step further, answer any questions and just check for glaring bad stuff (screen out hoarders or abusers, you know, really egregious stuff). During that process we will begin the logistics of transporting the dog, but we won't actually "pull the trigger" on the transport until you're approved. That's it in a nutshell.

 

As I mentioned, our priority is the well being of the dogs, so if an adopter ever has problems, we are reachable by phone or email to support them. If the dog has to be returned, we want it back. Our adoption contract states that our dogs must be returned to us, never an animal shelter or other rescue group, so that we can verify it's health and find another good home for it. When we bring dogs over for an adopter, it's certified healthy in it's passport that allows it to be transported over national borders, and up to date on all shots. We may need to work with the adopter to follow up on things they don't check for in Spain, like heartworm, but that's easy.

 

For us it can be sometimes a long process because the logistics of transporting the dogs here are challenging. We don't fly the dogs cargo, we fly them as pets to ensure their safety, which means that they must be escorted by a human on the same flight. The airlines we commonly use (American Airlines and Iberia) sometimes have date restrictions to prevent live animals from being left on the hot or frozen tarmac during the loading process, so it's generally faster to get a dog in the spring or fall. The timing can also be affected by how soon we can get a volunteer to escort the dogs. We have partnered with other galgo groups (SAGE, SHUG, GRIN and a few greyhound groups) so that if we can't organize a transport quickly and they have one ready with space available they'll bring our Scooby dog over for us.

 

You can find our adoption prices on our website (see my sig below). I'm not entirely clear if we pass the variable costs on to the adopter, but I am working on my "coworkers" to get that clarified because I think the wording on the website is confusing. You'll definitely have to pay for the dog's air travel and adoption fee, just not sure about the rest.

 

If you haven't already, I very much recommend you educate yourself about galgos, because they are a bit different from racing greyhounds. There is info about them on all of the rescue groups websites, and you can also search here for posts from Galgomum. That's Petra (SAGE) and she writes very eloquently and accurately about the differences between the breeds. And of course, I'm happy to answer any further questions you have, especially about Scooby!

[robinw]

And just to complicate things a little more, very few airlines will transport dogs as pets nowadays. For example, Air Canada will no longer transport any pet over 70 lbs, including crate (I brought Iker home via Air Canada two years ago), and most airlines will no longer let you change planes with dogs. American Airlines will only let somebody transport two animals at a time. It is easier to fly straight from Madrid to JFK and have a Canadian adoption group pick up the dogs there and drive them to Canada, then fly myself home to Toronto, then it is to fly dogs into Toronto, unless you get lucky with Air Transat.

[mom2four]

I'm just going to pipe in for a minute to say that KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) is also very good for transporting pets- we took Lucas from Amsterdam to Calgary 2 years ago. It was a direct flight. Lucas had been transported to Holland via the FBM transport bus along with lots of other galgos. I don't know if there are flights between Spain and Ontario though.

[jetcitywoman]

Robin is right. That's another reason why it's better to work with a group who will deal with those headaches on your behalf. Also we have done it before and we know what's worked for us in the past and what to avoid. A good example is Robin's mention of avoiding connecting flights and putting the dog on only one non stop flight from Madrid to New York. Once in NY, transporting them by van/car is much easier and safer for the dog, even if it means going across the US/Canadian border.

 

Mom3four posted at the same time as me. I'll only add that Lufthansa also has a good reputation for caring for pets, however they almost always require a connection in Frankfurt of Munich. And whenever someone allows me to stand on a soapbox I will tell everyone who listens not to ever transport an animal on United. Ever since their ground staff horribly abused that lady's greyhound a year or two ago. That was a domestic flight, and there just was no excuse for that. They call their program Petsafe, but it's anything BUT! :

Edited June 27, 2014 by jetcitywoman

[robinw]

Robin is right. That's another reason why it's better to work with a group who will deal with those headaches on your behalf. Also we have done it before and we know what's worked for us in the past and what to avoid. A good example is Robin's mention of avoiding connecting flights and putting the dog on only one non stop flight from Madrid to New York. Once in NY, transporting them by van/car is much easier and safer for the dog, even if it means going across the US/Canadian border.

 

Mom3four posted at the same time as me. I'll only add that Lufthansa also has a good reputation for caring for pets, however they almost always require a connection in Frankfurt of Munich. And whenever someone allows me to stand on a soapbox I will tell everyone who listens not to ever transport an animal on United. Ever since their ground staff horribly abused that lady's greyhound a year or two ago. That was a domestic flight, and there just was no excuse for that. They call their program Petsafe, but it's anything BUT! :

Lufthansa will no longer transport. KLM will transport, but there is nothing non-stop from Madrid to Toronto, and their flights from Madrid to JFK are 767s, which will not transport dogs.. You can change planes with dogs in Amsterdam, but you need at least two hours connection time, and anything more than 1 minute more will cost an extra 150 euros per dog. I know; I just spend over two weeks fighting with Delta because they kept screwing everything up. Finally I asked for a refund and booked on American, which unfortunately only allowed transport of two dogs at a time. Petra had mentioned something about Air Europa, but I'm not sure I trust them. A friend of mine transported dogs from Madrid to JFK on Jet Airways last year, but I had forgotten about them when I booked my flights.

[selena]

Thanks everyone for all this information. The stuff about the flights and what they do and do not allow really makes me appreciate how complicated it is to get a dog to North America and how much work the rescue groups are doing to make this happen!

 

As for the differences between galgos and greyhounds, I've read a bit about how galgos are more endurance runners than sprinters (and therefore might need more exercise?). This is one of the reasons I'm leaning galgo because I really want a good running partner and I tend to run (when I'm really into the sport, which is not now) slow, but long. I've read that greyhounds might have a problem with this. In my family we also enjoy day-long hikes and bike trips and want a dog that can keep up. On the other hand, however, we're not ALWAYS doing these things (I don't want to give the impression that we're a super athletic family, because we're not) and so we want a dog that is flexible between exercise time and downtime.

 

Admittedly a lot of the reason for wanting a galgo is size. Greyhounds are just too big for our lifestyle. We don't have a car (and don't really want to get one) and often borrow cars from other people and have to be flexible about the size of vehicle we're borrowing. I'd be looking for the smallest (probably female) galgo within the personality we're looking for.

 

I'll go check out those posts by galgomum now.

[robinw]

Do you know of anyplace between Hamilton and Kitchener, like a dog park, where we can meet?

[selena]

Hi Robin! We're going on holiday shortly so don't have much time to spare, but when we get back I wouldn't mind meeting you in Kitchener. We have a family member there we'd like to visit more often anyway.

[EllenEveBaz]

 

Admittedly a lot of the reason for wanting a galgo is size. Greyhounds are just too big for our lifestyle. We ... often borrow cars from other people and have to be flexible about the size of vehicle we're borrowing. I'd be looking for the smallest (probably female) galgo within the personality we're looking for.

 

Welcome! Not trying to change your mind, but you should know that even a large greyhound or galgo routinely curls up into amazingly small spaces. They're so flexible they truly do not seem to take up as much space as somewhat smaller dogs. Unless, of course, they are sharing a bed with you. Then they are the size of rhino's.

[GreytHoundPoet]

As for the differences between galgos and greyhounds, I've read a bit about how galgos are more endurance runners than sprinters (and therefore might need more exercise?). This is one of the reasons I'm leaning galgo because I really want a good running partner and I tend to run (when I'm really into the sport, which is not now) slow, but long. I've read that greyhounds might have a problem with this. In my family we also enjoy day-long hikes and bike trips and want a dog that can keep up. On the other hand, however, we're not ALWAYS doing these things (I don't want to give the impression that we're a super athletic family, because we're not) and so we want a dog that is flexible between exercise time and downtime.

 

To my knowledge most Galgos are up for as much exercise you can give them but can definitely chill when needed. That has been my experience with my Galgo. He loves all the exercise that we can provide but on off days he chills just like the Greyhounds do. That isn't to say that he's happy with tons of off days, mind you. He still wants to run in the yard daily and has more energy than the typical Greyhound. He just also enjoys extra exercise and activities.

 

 

Admittedly a lot of the reason for wanting a galgo is size. Greyhounds are just too big for our lifestyle. We don't have a car (and don't really want to get one) and often borrow cars from other people and have to be flexible about the size of vehicle we're borrowing. I'd be looking for the smallest (probably female) galgo within the personality we're looking for.

 

My Galgo stays around 52 lbs. He's a small guy. However, my Greyhound girls are 49 lbs and 52 lbs. The smallest Greyhound girl I have personally known was 42 lbs, but that is very uncommon. I have seen smaller Galgo girls. Anyways, I guess what I mean to say is that there are options either way. You could also look into Whippets. They are a nice, mid-small size and have a good energy level.

[mom2four]

 

Admittedly a lot of the reason for wanting a galgo is size. Greyhounds are just too big for our lifestyle.

 

Our female Greyhound is smaller (shorter) than 2 of our Galgos. She is 26 inches at the shoulder, and the 2 Galgos larger than her are 26.5 " and 27.5 ". Only Lucas is shorter, but he is a shripmy Galgo at 25". All their weights are between 50-60 lb or so.

[galgomum]

​Thank you for looking into a galgo.
They are wonderful dogs as you will be able to read on Greytalk.


If you are set on size, make sure you contact the group you are working with and let them know.
At this moment we have 6 here, the smallest weighing 37 pounds, the biggest weighing 75 pounds.
So you see there is a huge range in sizes.

Also, since you want a running mate, let the group know this also.
Thanks to their past, some galgos have injuries that may keep them from being this active.

Your best choice might be a young, active galgo.

Oh, and having a cat doesn't mean you have to wait, many galgos that are in foster care live with cats and are perfectly okay with them

[ozgirl2]

 

Welcome! Not trying to change your mind, but you should know that even a large greyhound or galgo routinely curls up into amazingly small spaces. They're so flexible they truly do not seem to take up as much space as somewhat smaller dogs. Unless, of course, they are sharing a bed with you. Then they are the size of rhino's.

 

hahahahaha!!! SOOOOO true!! (I've slept with Iker...)

[robinw]

 

hahahahaha!!! SOOOOO true!! (I've slept with Iker...)

Xavi is even worse! He likes to use my head as a pilllow.

[jetcitywoman]

As for the differences between galgos and greyhounds, I've read a bit about how galgos are more endurance runners than sprinters (and therefore might need more exercise?). This is one of the reasons I'm leaning galgo because I really want a good running partner and I tend to run (when I'm really into the sport, which is not now) slow, but long. I've read that greyhounds might have a problem with this. In my family we also enjoy day-long hikes and bike trips and want a dog that can keep up. On the other hand, however, we're not ALWAYS doing these things (I don't want to give the impression that we're a super athletic family, because we're not) and so we want a dog that is flexible between exercise time and downtime.

 

Admittedly a lot of the reason for wanting a galgo is size. Greyhounds are just too big for our lifestyle. We don't have a car (and don't really want to get one) and often borrow cars from other people and have to be flexible about the size of vehicle we're borrowing. I'd be looking for the smallest (probably female) galgo within the personality we're looking for.

Your idea of exercise is dead on for a galgo. They have the stamina to run for miles whereas you'd have to train a greyhound up to that. Galgos are also used to cross country running, which means they go over stumps, rocks, fences... (I assume or encourage you to keep the dog on leash while running with you so you don't lose him.) But yeah, a galgo could totally keep up with you on marathon training and hiking. Greyhounds are trained from early life into a regimented lifestyle where they are completely taken care of and never have to make a decision for themselves, so they tend not to be good problem solvers. That means they tend to be stalled by small barriers that are nothing to a galgo. Some examples: Capri who is my clever and intrepid "mountain goat" greyhound, had to be taught that it's possible for her to step over a fallen log. I kind of like that because it means it's super easy to give her intellectual challenges. Another example is if I have my feet up on the coffee table and she wants on the couch next to me on the other side, she fusses until I move my legs. So I get into arguments with her, telling her to GO AROUND THE TABLE YOU SILLY GOOSE!

 

However, as has been pointed out, galgos are also great at just laying around some days and sleeping and cuddling.

 

There are trade-offs you should be aware of. Galgos often come from poor backgrounds that include either neglect or abuse. They can also have lived in one of the shelters for a year or three before they come to you. That means they can have some issues that you'll need to work through. Anything from minor issues like having to house-train him and teach him house manners to having to work on deeply rooted fears. Of course when you apply, you tell the rescue group if you want a more confident/socialized dog. If you don't have a lot of dog experience, trying to work with a traumatized dog may be too much for you to handle. But there is a very LARGE range of galgo personalities and dispositions available, and we can also sometimes get puppies. So even that isn't a huge issue. Just something to be aware of.

 

[galgomum]

Or you can just adopt this little girl:

Cause she's just as perfect as they come
And there are many, many more of those that in spite of their backgrounds, just bounce back and are wonderful family pets.

[robinw]

Even better, you can adopt super active, super smart, super curious, super uninhibited, super crazy Xavi the galgo. He's only an hour away! Would you trust this face???

 

 

 

Just kidding! Today, anyway

 

 

 

 

 

[selena]

Your idea of exercise is dead on for a galgo. They have the stamina to run for miles whereas you'd have to train a greyhound up to that. Galgos are also used to cross country running, which means they go over stumps, rocks, fences... (I assume or encourage you to keep the dog on leash while running with you so you don't lose him.) But yeah, a galgo could totally keep up with you on marathon training and hiking. Greyhounds are trained from early life into a regimented lifestyle where they are completely taken care of and never have to make a decision for themselves, so they tend not to be good problem solvers. That means they tend to be stalled by small barriers that are nothing to a galgo. Some examples: Capri who is my clever and intrepid "mountain goat" greyhound, had to be taught that it's possible for her to step over a fallen log. I kind of like that because it means it's super easy to give her intellectual challenges. Another example is if I have my feet up on the coffee table and she wants on the couch next to me on the other side, she fusses until I move my legs. So I get into arguments with her, telling her to GO AROUND THE TABLE YOU SILLY GOOSE!

 

I'm glad to hear that I'm not too far off with my expectations for a galgo vs a greyhound. I am a bit concerned, though, despite the reason for wanting a galgo being somewhat to be forced into a more active lifestyle, to have a partner to run with (since my husband and kids aren't interested in running with me and I feel like if someone was super excited to go for a run that would make me excited too--I like running once i'm doing it, but getting out and doing it I need a higher level of motivation it seems), that the level of activity I can sustain won't be enough for a galgo? I would never get a husky or any other super high energy breed because of this... I'd feel bad that the dog wouldn't get enough activity.

 

On the other hand I worry that if I got a greyhound I'd have a dog who might refuse to go places or stop mid-activity just when I'm getting into it.

 

That is really hilarious about Capri. So silly!

 

 

Or you can just adopt this little girl:

 

Cause she's just as perfect as they come

And there are many, many more of those that in spite of their backgrounds, just bounce back and are wonderful family pets.

 

Petra, I've looked at April quite a few times and if I was in a position to adopt right now she would be one of my top choices! I even want a black or dark brindle, so she sounds perfect. As I mentioned before, the problem is our 15 year old cat. Actually, to be more specific the problem is that my aunt, who lives with us and whose cat it technically is, thinks that getting a dog would be too much for the cat. Her opinion comes from the experience of trying to introduce another cat to the home a year ago or so. 15 year old cat is EXTREMELY territorial and was VERY upset (resulting in a lot of screaming, spitting and fur flying when the cats had access to each other), which made my aunt very upset. She thinks that the cat will have the same reaction to a dog... but I don't think this is the case. I have been unable to convince her otherwise unfortunately.

 

Even better, you can adopt super active, super smart, super curious, super uninhibited, super crazy Xavi the galgo. He's only an hour away! Would you trust this face???

 

 

 

Just kidding! Today, anyway

 

 

Funny robin! He does have a rather adorable face... but perhaps a little mischievious.

[BatterseaBrindl]

I am following this thread as we're also in Ontario and curious about the Galgos.

We're at our limit right now (well, at DH's limit ! ), but I am always looking to the future.

[jetcitywoman]

.... that the level of activity I can sustain won't be enough for a galgo? I would never get a husky or any other super high energy breed because of this... I'd feel bad that the dog wouldn't get enough activity.

 

On the other hand I worry that if I got a greyhound I'd have a dog who might refuse to go places or stop mid-activity just when I'm getting into it.

 

Oh yes, I still say a galgo sounds like what you're looking for as a running buddy. They're not technically high energy, they ARE a type of greyhound. They run a bit slower than racers because they're not trained and bred for rocket-launched starts in a 35-second race. Their running is more, I would say, natural: around 35mph full out gallop (racers do 45+ in their sprint). And while they are capable of sustaining that over several miles, I think more often they do a mix of speeds depending on whether they're tracking prey (trotting) or actually chasing something. Galgos enjoy the challenges of jumping over things. But they are just as happy with several days in a row of chilling on the couch, so they're great companions for retired racers. Also, my example in fostering a galgo: I have arthritis and the best I can do is a walk around our suburban block or two once a day. Foster child has been just fine with that and the occasional sprint in our fenced yard.

 

Petra can chime in if she disagrees, but I suspect that you can make up for a few days of couch-potatoness by giving your galgo intellectual stimulation instead: kong toys or Nina Ottosson puzzle games, and even playing with other like-minded dogs in your home.

Edited July 11, 2014 by jetcitywoman

[mom2four]

I can send you Lucas, that boy needs his daily run