Straight From The Track Vs. Fostering

[Guest Lyra]

I would have added this to my introductory post, but I wanted it to get a little more attention. I did a search of the forum and couldn't come up with a good thread that covered this topic, or I just didn't do the right search and I apologize if this has been discussed at length before.

 

I've been doing a lot of research and have been speaking to a couple of different Greyhound adoption groups recently. I started to notice that there are two different kinds of adoption agencies; fosters, and straight from the track. Is there a considerable difference between the two? What would be the pros and cons between them?

 

I've had dogs before, so I'm not intimidated by having to train them, and I'm honestly leaning towards the 'off the track' adoption rather than the foster. There is something appealing to me about helping my Greyhound discover the world and being around to see it. But I am sure there are benefits to adopting a fostered dog as well, so I wanted to come here and ask Greyhound owners.

[sarabz]

Our group does both - adopts right off the track, and any that aren't adopted immediately go into foster care or the prison foster program.

 

We adopted our first girl right off the track. When we adopt again, I'd go with a foster since we have a young child and I'd need more of a known quantity.

[Hubcitypam]

Six greyhounds lived here.

One (Tweed Prince AKA Harley) got on a hauler to me two days after his last race.

Little Girl and Bella never raced and were nutjobs. Bella came out of the Altus OK pound.

Delhi Bu Qu Buck chose me in the kennel at Wichita.
Buddy was an owner surrender.

Rex was found as a stray and fostered...he was the hardest keeper of all.

 

It's a crapshoot, but in the big picture but straight off the track dogs were easier for me. (don't ask me about the dozens I fostered that never made the track) You teach them to be a pet and they teach you about greyhounds. You just have listen to what they are saying.

[greysmom]

I think it depends on what you need.

 

A fostered dog will be more of a known quantity: how they react in certain situations such as to kids and small animals, cat testing (though some kennels also cat test), if they have separation anxiety and/or resource guarding. And if you are a first time adopter - especially a first time dog owner - a fostered dog will give you a better chance of having a successful adoption. It also gives the adoption group a chance to really assess them medically and get them over the first round of worming and through their spay/neuter surgeries.

 

With a dog straight from a track program (or an adoption kennel that doesn't use fosters) you get that immediate connection to their prior lives. You get to see all the firsts and be their mentor in their new world of retirement. If you like the challenge of taking a really unknown individual and being the one to shape them, then this might be the way for you to go.

 

There isn't a right or wrong way to go about it. Just be really honest with whichever group you choose, about your lifestyle and how you want a greyhound to fit into it, and they should be able to steer you in the right direction to adopt a great first greyhound!

[Guest LittleGreyAnnie]

My first and only greyhound was adopted from a shelter when she was freshly out of the race kennels (never made a race dog) and she didn't go through foster care. When dogs are adopted straight from the track, you don't know how they behave, their quirks, if they are nervous or confident, don't know their energy level and things like that. Annie was suppose to be (according to the shelter) calm, timid and low energy. She is actually high energy and very confident lol But we have a Dalmatian so her energy isn't a problem haha. Getting a fostered dog, you would know all of those things mentioned above which means you would have a higher chance of getting a dog perfect for what you want, however it's a personal choice really. If you like to find out what the dog is like and don't mind how it's gonna turn out, a freshly off the track dog should be great. If you prefer to know more about how the dog is in home life, I reccomend getting a fostered dog. There is always the option of fostering a dog before adopting. Hope this helped

[rsieg]

My group has its own kennel, so mostly straight off the track with a stay in the group's kennel. Logan was fine with that, except for about a month of going into the pantry before he got something that upset his stomach enough to stop. Max was a two-time bounce I got at 10 yo, so that was different. Besides the arguments above, one other argument for straight off the track is that it is easier on the dog to make a single transition from track/kennel life to adopted life. The thinking is that it is harder on the dog to go to a foster home and then to move again to the permanent adoption home (extra transition there).

[juliemac]

Welcome to Greytalk!

 

I​ personally would work with the group that you enjoy more ... I personally found that the relationships I built with the human caregivers for the greys was invaluable (especially when you want to talk about POOP, which all greyhound owners seem fascinated with). If you decide that you have a strong preference, I would bet that the group you choose to work with can help you achieve your goal (maybe a bit harder for a group that doesn't foster to find you a foster family unless you take a bounce, but still do-able).

 

Please also remember the RULES when you do adopt pictures are required!

[Guest Lyra]

I really got along well with the woman who runs the kennels that adopts out straight from the track, we talked for a long time about everything and she was really engaging and helpful. So I believe that is that route that I am going to go. I am supposed to call her back this week anyways since that is when she is supposed to get more dogs in. We were planning on getting 2 Greyhounds, so transitioning 2 may be a unique challenge, but I will discuss that more with her as well. We could always start with 1 and get another one soon after.

 

And of course, I'll post pictures!

[kronckew]

my male, blue, came to adopt me from a foster family. he had been found wandering around in reading, uk. as a 6mo. old pup, untattooed but definitely a greyhound, probably traveller stock (gypsy).

he came to me fully house-trained, with fairly decent recall (if not chasing something) and house manners. he loved snuggling in my bed under the covers plastered as close as doggily possible...

 

my female, millie, came straight off the track at 2yrs old. not house trained, never been in a house, never seen stairs, couches or beds. she went into the house 1st time, bounded up the stairs and lay down on the bed. had to help her down stairs tho. house training was fun. she usually was ok for short periods, but if i was out for a few hours, she's wee in the bathroom. after a couple months she was fine tho. could hold it a whole day, i suspect. her recall was essentially nil for a long time, but got better, but never to where i trusted her.. she also liked sleeping on the bed near me, but didn't like covers.

 

my current dog, poppy, a saluki x lurcher came from a foster. again house trained, perfect manners, excellent recall. doesn't like cats, neither did blue or millie.

 

none of them were counter surfers or trash bin divers, thank my lucky stars. my friend with two lurchers has two that can snatch food off the top of their fridge, open cabinets and the trash can. they were both fostered.

 

all in all, i think it depends on the dog, the new humans they adopt, and the luck of the draw. if you are happy to house train an adult dog, go for it.

Edited March 12, 2017 by kronckew

[Scoutsmom]

If you are planning to get two dogs, I would recommend starting with one and then adding the second. My reason? Rather than trying to train 2 dogs at once, you can concentrate on training one, get house training, no-cat training, stair training etc. down. Then in a month or two get your second dog. The first will help train that second dog by being an example. I can't imagine trying to train 2 dogs at once to handle stairs or that the cars on the street will not jump the curb and attack them. The dogs would feed on each other's nervousness. The only way I would do 2 at once is if one is a re-home and had been in homes for a while.

[Guest Lyra]

If you are planning to get two dogs, I would recommend starting with one and then adding the second. My reason? Rather than trying to train 2 dogs at once, you can concentrate on training one, get house training, no-cat training, stair training etc. down. Then in a month or two get your second dog. The first will help train that second dog by being an example. I can't imagine trying to train 2 dogs at once to handle stairs or that the cars on the street will not jump the curb and attack them. The dogs would feed on each other's nervousness. The only way I would do 2 at once is if one is a re-home and had been in homes for a while.

 

That was kind of what I was thinking. My mom (who is getting a Greyhound as well) is very personality-based when she chooses dogs. So if she doesn't meet one that clicks with her then I will get a Greyhound first, if she does find one, I think I will end up waiting so that we can transition 1 at a time. We are not opposed to getting a bonded pair or bounces either, it's just what works best for us based on what the group has and what they think would do best with our lifestyle. I know it's harder to determine when taking just from the track, but our needs are really very basic so I'm not too worried about most considerations with Greyhounds. We don't have cats, we really don't have young children around at all (my daughter is 13), and although I do have a pair of guinea pigs, they are in a room where I can close the door if needed. I really do appreciate all your insight! This forum is really helpful.

[GeorgeofNE]

My first hound's foster home did him more harm than good, of that I am certain. The gal meant well, but she was clueless about dogs and he was her LAST foster (she was 'let go' by the group when I told them what I observed at the home and how she had been treating the dog).

 

I would have been far better off getting him off the track.

 

My second dog was in a kennel for a looooooooooong time. He was taken home by some volunteers for a couple of days when I expressed interest so the could gauge how well he would do with cats and being a single. He gave them no trouble, and he hasn't give me a lick of trouble either. He didn't seem to need to learn a whole lot, other than his general fear of all things!

 

He's awesome now.

[Guest Lyra]

My first hound's foster home did him more harm than good, of that I am certain. The gal meant well, but she was clueless about dogs and he was her LAST foster (she was 'let go' by the group when I told them what I observed at the home and how she had been treating the dog).

 

I would have been far better off getting him off the track.

 

 

That's awful! I'm glad it worked out in the end. Luckily, I don't have to worry about finding a cat-safe dog. I realize that my guinea pigs may be tempting, but I've had terriers all my life, so the wanting to slaughter small fast-moving furry things is nothing new to me. While it would be nice to have a Greyhound who would ignore them, I still wouldn't leave them alone together because that's just asking for trouble. I'm also not too worried about the dog needing another Greyhound, because we will eventually get a second. I'm just hoping the first one we get can hang on for a little while before the second one comes along.

[NeylasMom]

If you're interested in taking on two at once and there's a bonded pair available that might be a good option. Returns are often a bit easier to transition to your home and as someone who did rescue for many years, it's difficult to find a home to place multiple dogs into. SHUG had a bonded pair of males, but it looks like they may have been adopted. Worth checking though as they will place throughout the US.

 

Otherwise, I would just second what Greysmom said. Adopting a dog who has been fostered has a lot of advantages, but if you're not particular about the dog you get adopting from a kennel situation works as well.

[Guest Lyra]

We already decided that if there is a bonded pair available we would take them. We actually just missed out on a sibling pair when I got into contact with the kennel group, from how upset she sounded, I think they ended up splitting them up.

[DonnaBehr]

My first four had never been in anyone's home before I adopted them. They are smart dogs and it's fun to watch them acclimate to something that a puppy learns from a young age. They are easy to train about what NOT to do in a house.

 

My next three were fostered, but not for long. I can't recommend one way or the other. All of mine were/are wonderful pets.

[Guest Lyra]

From what everyone is saying, I definitely feel comfortable adopting straight from the track. I think if I needed a dog with specific needs/requirements, then fostering would be better to find the perfect match. I'm just crossing my fingers that I get a Greyhound that has a little more energy than just being a couch potato. So unless anyone has some pointers on how to pick that Greyhound out, I'll just hope for the best.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Lyra

[EllenEveBaz]

The adoption program people can ask the track folks who has some extra pep. And just watching a turnout or two would give a lot of information about energy level, too.

[Guest Lyra]

The adoption program people can ask the track folks who has some extra pep. And just watching a turnout or two would give a lot of information about energy level, too.

That's a good idea! I'm supposed to call and speak with the director tomorrow, so I will ask her about that. Thanks!

[NeylasMom]

Age is a factor too. My last two were between 18 mos and 2 years and had that adolescent energy and personality. Zuri was eventually more of a couch potato as he got older but was always game for anything, off leash runs, long hikes (we used to hike 10+ miles in a given day), training, etc. He was also just happy to lounge when we weren't doing those things. Violet has never outgrown her energy level and she's almost 8.

[Batmom]

We had one who was home fostered for @ 9 months. She was a pushbutton greyhound. She had to adjust to our other dog and our particular home, but thanks to a wonderful foster home, she knew how to go up and down stairs, how to potty outdoors, the sound of the whipped cream can , etc. She was exactly what we needed at the time. She was a love and a half. She is gone now and we miss her every day.

 

Our others mostly came straight from the track or track-like kennel. More work this way. You have to teach stairs if you have them; have to dogproof more to ensure the dog doesn't hurt himself or your home; have to teach pottying outdoors; may have to teach walking nicely on leash, getting in and out of a vehicle, sleeping through the night; etc. Can be some fun but can also be stressful if you are working full time or have special needs at home.

[Guest Lyra]

Zuri sounds like my kind of dog!!

I like to do a lot of outdoor things, especially when the weather is nice, so having a dog that isn't going to give me the stink-eye for bringing them along would make me happy.

Fortunately my home life is really simple and very routine, which I've read is important for Greyhounds especially early on. I'm really getting excited to have a Greyhound, its been almost 3 years since we lost both of our dogs. I'm so ready.

[Guest Lyra]

Spoke to her today, she's holding a lovely black Greyhound for me to meet Sunday and if we like him, we take him home!!

 

Secretly, I'm really happy he's a black dog, I really wanted one.