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Preparing for first retired greyhound


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Hi, we are in the process of adopting a retired greyhound from kennels near London. Quick question. Can greyhounds use blankets themselves? (I’m a total dog novice!) Our hallway is quite cold, but there’s a great place there outside our bedroom door under the stairs for a dog bed. We are happy for our new dog to sleep on the floor in our bedroom initially, but due to the TINY size of our bedroom we expect he will end up happy to sleep in the hall with our bedroom door open eventually. (Or he will regularly risk getting tripped over!)
So, for warmth, do I get a cave type dog bed (expensive) or would any old thing do with some blankets which the dog could use himself? Happy to buy the cave dog bed if it would be the right solution.

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Ours has a dog bed and 3 blankets in our room.  He (and most greyhounds) will "make" their beds, often at 3AM for some reason.  You can google it to see what I mean.

Rule of thumb is softer is better.  They don't have body fat or lots of hair, so the softer the surface the better.

If he is really at risk of being tripped over, I'd encourage you to move him.   You do not want to trip over a sleeping greyhound.  

He'll do better if he sleeps in your room.  They are pack animals and you will become his new pack.

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You should also search for greyhound coats and jammies. There are loads of small business that make them. I have some very thick ones from a lady called Izzy and finns hound boutique and they keep mine toasty in our house, which is also quite cold.

If you’re at all handy with a sewing machine you could have a go at making your own. Greyhound coats are essentially a figure of eight shape, with a bit more material at the head end which you sew together to loop under the neck. Sew a bit of Velcro to the undersides to stop it from sliding off one side and you’re away! Blankets are fine if your hound is a burrower but they can still come off in the night. A coat is less likely to. But not all hounds like to wear clothes so you might have to try both. If yours turns out like mine, he/she will have more clothes than you. True story :lol.

Also if you’re successful at just keeping to one bed let me know how you do it. We have four downstairs, several travel beds, two outdoor beds, beds for each car and one for when we visit Nanny and Grandpapa’s.

Buddy Molly 🌈 5/11/10-10/10/23

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Congratulations on adopting a greyhound. The first few weeks can be frustrating. Remember he's being taken into a totally alien world to what he has known and will take his time to get used to it. The greyhound you adopt now won't be the same hound in a year or mores time but will be a lot better. Time, patience and a sense of humour.

He'll decide for you where he wants to sleep. Grace's beds are the sofa, bed in front of radiator, bed in front of the patio doors, middle of the floor when it's hot in the summer. She also has a bed in the car and one for visiting.

As MerseyGrey said, not all greys like to wear clothes. Grace doesn't. She will even object to wearing a coat outside by walking slowly unless it's -4 C and snowy.:snowman

Don't try and second guess what you need for your new hound. Just get the basics you can get more once he's settled in. A coat if he doesn't come with one. A cheap large dog bed, then if he messes on it it can be replaced and or an old bed quilt and cover and a throw for the sofa.:D

For food check out the Greyhound Trust's Pet Greyhound food. If you buy 2 or more it's free delivery and £5 off per bag. https://greyhoundtruststore.com/products/pet-greyhound-food

Grace (Ardera Coleen) b. 18 June 2014 - Gotcha Day 10 June 2018 - Going grey gracefully
Guinness (Antigua Rum) b. 3 September 2017 - Gotcha Day 18 March 2022 - A gentleman most of the time

 

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8 hours ago, HeyRunDog said:

As MerseyGrey said, not all greys like to wear clothes. Grace doesn't. She will even object to wearing a coat outside by walking slowly unless it's -4 C and snowy.:snowman

Don't try and second guess what you need for your new hound. Just get the basics you can get more once he's settled in. A coat if he doesn't come with one. A cheap large dog bed, then if he messes on it it can be replaced and or an old bed quilt and cover and a throw for the sofa.:D

Amen. Excellent advice...especially the throw for the sofa.  

 None of mine liked clothes except for a horse blanket type coat when it was below freezing.  It's my firm belief most dog clothes are to humor the human involved.  Amazingly in the U.S. most greyhounds grow up naked  on farms outside 24/7 with a communal dog house for the litter.

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On 2/4/2021 at 1:43 PM, NewGrey2017 said:

Ours has a dog bed and 3 blankets in our room.  He (and most greyhounds) will "make" their beds, often at 3AM for some reason.  You can google it to see what I mean.

Rule of thumb is softer is better.  They don't have body fat or lots of hair, so the softer the surface the better.

If he is really at risk of being tripped over, I'd encourage you to move him.   You do not want to trip over a sleeping greyhound.  

He'll do better if he sleeps in your room.  They are pack animals and you will become his new pack.

Thanks for this. I have looked online at greyhounds making beds. Adorable, amusing - and quite a lot of space needed! I am sure we’ll work it out, even if he ends up having to sleep in our doorway or something. Other’s replies have also convinced me to start with a simple cheap range of sleeping options (will be soft and padded) which we can easily move anywhere and see where we end up. We are looking forward to being his pack. Hope we do a good job. - We’ve got two kids (teens now) and I’m beginning to feel it’s going to be just as challenging as newborns initially!

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On 2/4/2021 at 7:36 PM, MerseyGrey said:

You should also search for greyhound coats and jammies. There are loads of small business that make them. I have some very thick ones from a lady called Izzy and finns hound boutique and they keep mine toasty in our house, which is also quite cold.

If you’re at all handy with a sewing machine you could have a go at making your own. Greyhound coats are essentially a figure of eight shape, with a bit more material at the head end which you sew together to loop under the neck. Sew a bit of Velcro to the undersides to stop it from sliding off one side and you’re away! Blankets are fine if your hound is a burrower but they can still come off in the night. A coat is less likely to. But not all hounds like to wear clothes so you might have to try both. If yours turns out like mine, he/she will have more clothes than you. True story :lol.

Also if you’re successful at just keeping to one bed let me know how you do it. We have four downstairs, several travel beds, two outdoor beds, beds for each car and one for when we visit Nanny and Grandpapa’s.

Thanks for this. We have got plans for various sleep/snoozy duvets and beds around the house. I am just trying to work out the initial overnight logistics 🙂 I’ll bear pjs in mind, but maybe for next winter when we’ve got to know him. I was never good with doll’s clothes though, so blankets may end up being the thing anyway. We’ll see. Many thanks.

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On 2/5/2021 at 6:36 AM, HeyRunDog said:

Congratulations on adopting a greyhound. The first few weeks can be frustrating. Remember he's being taken into a totally alien world to what he has known and will take his time to get used to it. The greyhound you adopt now won't be the same hound in a year or mores time but will be a lot better. Time, patience and a sense of humour.

He'll decide for you where he wants to sleep. Grace's beds are the sofa, bed in front of radiator, bed in front of the patio doors, middle of the floor when it's hot in the summer. She also has a bed in the car and one for visiting.

As MerseyGrey said, not all greys like to wear clothes. Grace doesn't. She will even object to wearing a coat outside by walking slowly unless it's -4 C and snowy.:snowman

Don't try and second guess what you need for your new hound. Just get the basics you can get more once he's settled in. A coat if he doesn't come with one. A cheap large dog bed, then if he messes on it it can be replaced and or an old bed quilt and cover and a throw for the sofa.:D

For food check out the Greyhound Trust's Pet Greyhound food. If you buy 2 or more it's free delivery and £5 off per bag. https://greyhoundtruststore.com/products/pet-greyhound-food

Thanks, this is great advice and I won’t buy a fancy bed at this stage, just provide lots of options and follow the greyhound’s lead. The kennels we are getting him from are very supportive and we have someone we can contact with any questions - even in the middle of the night she said! Hoping we won’t have to do that. We’re sticking with the same food as the kennels for our initial month’s trial, but will check out the greyhound trust link - it looks like a great idea. I can’t quite believe you say “a year or more”! But it’s good to know how long it takes for a retired greyhound to truly settle to being a pet. And it reminds me of when my first daughter was about four weeks old and someone said to me “don’t worry, the first 21 years are the hardest”!!! Haha! We didn’t kill the kids, so hopefully we’ll manage and enjoy the greyhound too 🤞

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17 hours ago, Hubcitypam said:

Amen. Excellent advice...especially the throw for the sofa.  

 None of mine liked clothes except for a horse blanket type coat when it was below freezing.  It's my firm belief most dog clothes are to humor the human involved.  Amazingly in the U.S. most greyhounds grow up naked  on farms outside 24/7 with a communal dog house for the litter.

Thanks for this. We’re a tall skinny family who feel the cold (and yes, will look a lot like our dog 😂) but I will hold my nerve with the cold in our hallway (1960s house has a concrete base and we have hard floor in the hallway - it gets pretty cold!) and let the greyhound dictate if he needs more warmth. Washable rugs, cheap dog beds, blankets and old duvets seem like the place to start.

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greyhounds will not utilize a cave bed they do not tunnel or burrow as a whippet does. a soft good size rectangular bed is easier to fit somewhere vs. a round bed- just wait.molly mutts(i believe that's the name) makes just covers in a wide array of sizes. if you know someone who sews making your own bed is best. also, make sure the cover is removable so you can wash it. moving blankets, old blankets or polar fleece blankets work well. good luck- and GH are used to having a scrap of carpeting in their kennel(that will work too) and not too much else. they BECOME creatures of comfort.

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2 hours ago, cleptogrey said:

greyhounds will not utilize a cave bed they do not tunnel or burrow as a whippet does. a soft good size rectangular bed is easier to fit somewhere vs. a round bed- just wait.molly mutts(i believe that's the name) makes just covers in a wide array of sizes. if you know someone who sews making your own bed is best. also, make sure the cover is removable so you can wash it. moving blankets, old blankets or polar fleece blankets work well. good luck- and GH are used to having a scrap of carpeting in their kennel(that will work too) and not too much else. they BECOME creatures of comfort.

Thanks, good to know. I’m so glad I asked about the cave bed. I’ll get looking for rectangular mattress type beds with easily washable covers.

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Welcome to you and your hound-to-be!

I used to buy old duvets and such at yard sales and thrift stores, to further lower the cost.  

Quote

We didn’t kill the kids, so hopefully we’ll manage and enjoy the greyhound too 🤞

:lol:  True, they are not so breakable.  Relax and enjoy the ride!  

 

siggy_z1ybzn.jpg

Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey

remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter

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On 2/6/2021 at 6:19 PM, EllenEveBaz said:

Welcome to you and your hound-to-be!

I used to buy old duvets and such at yard sales and thrift stores, to further lower the cost.  

:lol:  True, they are not so breakable.  Relax and enjoy the ride!  

 

Thanks! I’ve found a couple of cheap duvets. They’re not that cushioned, but I think they will be once arranged by the new greyhound... 

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Quote

They’re not that cushioned, but I think they will be once arranged by the new greyhound... 

There's nothing quite like watching a hound diligently arrange duvets for several minutes to get them j-u-s-t- right, then, with a weary sigh, lay that thin, skinny body on the cold hard floor right next to the soft nest.  

siggy_z1ybzn.jpg

Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey

remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter

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3 hours ago, EllenEveBaz said:

There's nothing quite like watching a hound diligently arrange duvets for several minutes to get them j-u-s-t- right, then, with a weary sigh, lay that thin, skinny body on the cold hard floor right next to the soft nest.  

:rotfl  this is a greyhound truth!

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  • 10 months later...
On 2/6/2021 at 4:07 PM, Newbie said:

Thanks for this. We have got plans for various sleep/snoozy duvets and beds around the house. I am just trying to work out the initial overnight logistics 🙂 I’ll bear pjs in mind, but maybe for next winter when we’ve got to know him. I was never good with doll’s clothes though, so blankets may end up being the thing anyway. We’ll see. Many thanks.

If you still planning to create ether clothes or bedding for your dog, here's a good tutorial on how to make a bed https://www.pinterest.com/pin/234609461815286200/?d=t&mt=login. You can find any dog clothing tutorials in the same way. If you do not have a sewing machine I can recommend you this one https://www.craftyhangouts.com/best-brother-sewing-machine/#product5. I and my sister use it ourselves for three years and we are really happy with it.

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