First greyhound/galgo help!

[Helicoptermummy]

Hey guys! 
 

I was hoping you could give me some advice, as I’ve adopted my first spanish greyhound! 

She has been with us for about a week and I'm not sure if I'm giving her enough stimulation or too much stimulation!  At the moment our routine is as follows

I wake up at around 08.30, have a coffee and wake her up (at the moment she sleeps in our conservatory,) since my partner does not like having her in the house! 

At around 09:00 take her for a 1-2 hour walk we have to walk around quite a bit until she finally has a wee! (Which at the moment she is only doing once a day) 

then come back home at around 11/12 she has her lunch breakfast half an hour after we arrive! she then just sleeps most of the afternoon I start work at around 15.00 but I work from home so I try to keep an eye out on her! 

I try to give her a snack by around 18.00 this normally comes in the shape of a kong!  

then finally depending on when my work finishes I take her for a long night walk usually around an hour! At the moment we've slowly started going to the dog park as sometimes she gets a bit fearful of other dogs! If we go into the dog park and there's a few dogs there she will run around with them until she pretty much exhausts herself 😂 

we then come back home I give her, her dinner at around 9 and depending on how settled she is I don't really take her out again. 

Should I try to take her out more often? 

I've been told by other galgo owners that they (the galgos) get really bored on their walks and that I should just try to make her run more often! (But since she is a rescue and pretty recently adopted I do not feel comfortable releasing her!)

Many thanks in advance for your advice.  

 

[greysmom]

It's difficult for us here in the US to advise EU owners as the dog culture is so different in the two places.  Then add in that your dog is a galgo in Spain and it doubles down on the level of difficulty.

I would advise you first of all to contact the rescue you adopted her from with all your questions.  They know her and the situation she came from, and can tell you better how they expect her to settle into home life, and how to help her.

For what it's worth, it sounds like things are going well and she's not having any problems, so I'm not quite sure what you would think about changing??  If she were a newly adopted greyhound here, I would advise a LOT more time and patience for her to learn what living in a home is all about; time and patience to learn to trust and bond with the humans in her new situation; time and patience to just be for a while in a safe and calm location.

I would definitely contact the rescue and ask if they believe dog parks are an appropriate activity for your dog at this point (or ever, for that matter).  I would think the risk of an escape, or your dog being injured, would outweigh the advantage of a minor amount of exercise.  We advise new US greyhound owners to avoid dog parks for the most part.

Congratulations on your new family member and Welcome!

[FiveRoooooers]

I've been told by other galgo owners that they (the galgos) get really bored on their walks and that I should just try to make her run more often! (But since she is a rescue and pretty recently adopted I do not feel comfortable releasing her!)

Please! Do not let her off-leash unless it is in a safe, absolutely secured fenced area.

[MP_the4pack]

A 2 meter high fence at that.

[BatterseaBrindl]

27 minutes ago, MP_the4pack said:

A 2 meter high fence at that.

Oh yes... a tall fence is necessary...Many Galgos can be jumpers.

It sounds as if your girl  (what's her name?) is starting to settle in.   

I agree...contact your adoption group to see what they recommend as far as exercise goes. 

It sounds as if she getting LOTS of walks.  My guys would not want to walk that much every day, but we have a fenced in yard and leash-walking is not necessary for potty breaks.

We've had 4 Greyhounds and now also have a small Galgo/Greyhound, Kibo.  He's 4 and about 60 pounds.

He is very lazy and loves nothing more to sleep in.  He is also way more independent than any of the Greys, usually preferring to spend the day on his own.  He always knows where I or DH are, but is not one to need to be in the same room with us.  Currently he's in the bedroom sound asleep on the bed and the Irish Grey is here at my feet in the office.

He is also the highest prey-driven dog that I've ever owned. I would never, ever let him off leash, especially in a dog park where there could be small dogs.  Even birds flying overhead are not safe from Kibo!