Hounds straight off the track

[ramonaghan]

Tell me your experiences. Asking for a friend. 

[BatterseaBrindl]

    

[GreyPoopon]

Most of mine were right from the track, albeit through an adoption kennel. The more recent their retirement, the fitter they were.  Others were farm girls, again most through an adoption kennel. A few were fostered briefly on the way here, and a few were re-homed.

The big advantage of a fostered dog is that it has probably started to learn the basics of home life. In general, it should be less overwhelmed (some withdraw and others are frantic) by the new sights, sounds, and routines. It might have figured out that carpet is not a pee pad and it might even know how to do stairs. 

But I neither need nor particularly want someone else to teach the basics. I prefer that the dog learn to be a house dog in my house. Yes, it's more work, but the dog learns what I want it to know.

Does this help, or did I miss the essence of your question?

Edited June 18, 2022 by GreyPoopon

[ramonaghan]

1 hour ago, GreyPoopon said:

Most of mine were right from the track, albeit through an adoption kennel. The more recent their retirement, the fitter they were.  Others were farm girls, again most through an adoption kennel. A few were fostered briefly on the way here, and a few were re-homed.

The big advantage of a fostered dog is that it has probably started to learn the basics of home life. In general, it should be less overwhelmed (some withdraw and others are frantic) by the new sights, sounds, and routines. It might have figured out that carpet is not a pee pad and it might even know how to do stairs. 

But I neither need nor particularly want someone else to teach the basics. I prefer that the dog learn to be a house dog in my house. Yes, it's more work, but the dog learns what I want it to know.

Does this help, or did I miss the essence of your question?

Thanks, this is exactly the kind of insight I am looking for.

Our local adoption groups do their best but don't have a lot of dogs or bandwidth right now. However, the track in West Memphis (3 hrs or so away) has several available hounds through their kennel. They don't cat-test there anymore, so that's nerve racking, but they're closing at the end of the year so time is short. I appreciate hearing a perspective from someone who's gone through both channels. 

Sweep was barely 3 when we adopted her, but she'd been fostered for a few months with a resident hound who probably showed her the ropes, and she was a quick study. She was so easy right off the bat. Trying to decide if we're up for a potentially bigger challenge.

[1Moregrey]

I have had two straight off the track, one a bounce was his third home, one from an adoption kennel, and one from the farm had been retired for several years but no litters.
I to prefer to get them straight from the track.  I really admire and appreciate all the hard work they do to raise well adjusted dogs for me I will really miss that gift.  I get all the fun and none of the puppy antics or teething.  Coming off the track I treat them like show horses.  Meaning the crate is like a horse stall.  The come out get groomed played with a walk, some time to hang out, then back to the crate.  Slowly over time and different for each one they get more house privileges and live more dog like than show horse.  For me this has been an easy transition for them and slowly exposes them to all the sights and sounds with plenty of quiet safe time to just watch how the new world works and there place in it.

The ones that have been fostered it really depends on the foster home.  If they have followed the rules about not being on the furniture it is easier than if they had free roam and a couch of there own.  Just depends on your rules.  Just know you may have some habits to break.

 

[Jerilyn]

You'll be great! Go for it! 

Get a black one. 

[palmettobug]

GTer Bill419 is in Bartlett, he may be able to help you out.

Although, Roman was supposed to be "cat trainable", he does need reminding "friends not food!", especially when they run. Still got the puppy brain. 

Yes, get a black one!

[HeyRunDog]

Grace was through an adoption group but they had only had her a couple of weeks. She was and still is a nervous dog but the rewards of helping her to come to terms of the real world were worth it. Guinness was a bounce, he tricked the cat safe test and was then fostered before he joined Grace and me. Their personalities are like chalk and cheese and both needed training for different things which is ongoing.

If you get a chance have a word with the kennel staff at the training kennels about the dogs personality.

[DocsDoctor]

Doc and Ken both came to me straight from the adoption kennels - I doubt they'd ever seen the inside of a house before. Yes that meant a bit more work for me but it was rather fun introducing them to such things as mirrors, stairs, and nice soft beds . And also to a big wide world that included parks, streets, other breeds of dogs, squirrels and cats and adventures on public transport .

Doc was my first dog in adult life, so we were both learning as we went along. The thing that he found hardest was being left alone in the house, having always been with other dogs 24/7 and with humans around as well, much of the time. The trail of destruction tested me too, and it took him several months to work out that I did always come back again, and that meanwhile he could enjoy the normally inaccessible chaise longue!  While I had to learn to manage his high prey drive, and familiarise him with other kinds of dog - some good mixed-breed obedience classes helped with both those. The plus side was how closely we bonded - he came to me a big happy confident dog, had always been well-treated I think, but such a close and caring relationship was a new thing for us both. He became my heart dog  and I became his - well, who knows? Something very special, anyway, I could see that in his eyes as he lay on his bed looking at me. 

Ken on the other hand had had a harder time before he came to me - he came into the adoption kennels with raw and bleeding nail-beds which it took them, and then me, a long time to sort out -  initially thought to be a recurring infection, but ultimately discovered to be an immune system issue. Initially he was quite shut down, institutionalised even - fine to be left on home at his own, a bit fearful of the world outside the front door and even of people. I remember one of my friends commenting on how he cringed away from her at a doorway, as if expected to be shoved out of the way . But with time, care and love he blossomed into the sweetest-natured dog you could hope to find: quiet and gentle, happy to help me lead WI walks but happiest of all I think when he'd just nicked one of my abandoned slippers for the umpteenth time, and carefully placed that for me to discover on the living room rug . It still hurts that he had to leave me because of those health issues aged just eight.

Tiger, my current dog, is the only one who had been in a home before - and that actually meant that he presented much more serious issues than the other two. He was a bounce, who'd started guarding his bed; his body language was hard to read and even as an experienced dog-owner I ended up getting bitten myself earlier on, more than once.  He is a much happier and more relaxed chap these days, loving towards myself and always friendly towards new people - but also still a tougher character than either Doc or Ken.

[LBass]

Piper and Spirit came from track/farm to adoption kennel with no fostering.  MoMo came straight from the track but because she was an FTH hound, she'd had lots of home experience with her breeder/trainer.  Nate never raced and came from an adoption group that fosters before adoption.  I think that the differences came more from the individual personalities of the dogs rather than whether they'd been fostered or had home life experiences. Piper was the perfect first greyhound--sweet, gentle, loving, and easy.  That's just who he was.   Spirit came from a farm environment,, but because of the people involved, he'd been given a lot on attention and TLC, though no in-home time.  He was very frightened of people and life in general when he was sent to this racing kennel and was moved to their farm with the puppies and rehabbing or retirement ready dogs.  He'd learned that he loved attention when he came to me, butt little else.  That was enough to build on, but I think the need to help "Chicken Little" blossom would have been the same if he'd spent time in a foster home.  No cat testing for him either, but I was lucky. 

They are each individuals when they come to you and the relationship you build with them reflects that.  The lack of cat testing would be the most worrisome thing for me.  Would the kennel cooperate if you brought you cat there for testing?  Make sure the cat is not just sitting during the test.  If testing can't be arranged, I'd clearly (Spirit) take the gamble.  Good luck!

 

[EllenEveBaz]

Adding another vote for a-ok for straight off the track.  Most of mine have been bounces, but both Romie and Jeter came from the track through GFNC, which at that time had a large track-style adoption kennel instead of fostering.  As noted above, judicious use of a crate helped create peace of mind for both me and the dog when I was not there.  (Well, for one day only with Jeter -- he was so happy to see me when I returned home from work the first day that he gave himself a bad case of happy tail whapping it against the metal crate.  It took months to heal.)  

With any new dog, I tether them to my waist with a long dogwalkers' leash for the first 24 hours (yes, including at night) for no housebreaking mistakes.  Romie and Jeter behaved just as well as the dogs who had lived in a home before.  No inside pees or poops from any of the dogs.  Didn't have to worry about cats, but did have to make sure all the hounds were small-dog safe.  

[ramonaghan]

Thank you for your replies! This is reassuring. 

I'll fess up: we went to W. Memphis last weekend just to look, mainly because it might be our only opportunity to see a track and talk to the handlers. It was so interesting! And we heard a roo-fest and met some very enthusiastic puppers. We needed a greyhound fix. We miss our girl so much and the house is too quiet. 

We have our eye on this young lady (Jerilyn and Vanessa, do black ears count?). Her name appeals to my inner 90s grunge girl and she seemed very confident (and energetic! ). She was also on the short list of dogs the kennel manager thought were more likely to be cat workable.

Still pondering.

Edited June 18, 2022 by ramonaghan

[1Moregrey]

1 hour ago, ramonaghan said:

She was also on the short list of dogs the kennel manager thought were more likely to be cat workable.

Still pondering.

Remember that is what the muzzle is for and a slow introduction.  Along with a good understanding of leave it for your new addition.  Hope you finish pondering on your drive to pick her up.  Remember I am a big greyhound enabler not a greyhound pusher.  But go get in the car and pick her up.

[Time4ANap]

We don't even pretend to think about it any more. It seems like the group calls us and suddenly there's another hound on the floor here. 

Petunia and Kate weren't off the track, but were off the farm. They had no issues transitioning to a house other than Petunia was lonely, which is how Kate ended up here a month or two later. 

I get the house being too quiet. The quiet can be overwhelming. Go for it - she's gorgeous and at a great age. 

[Remolacha]

All of mine were fostered, because of the cat thing, but I will remind you, some of them lie on their cat test   Fletcher actually lived with a cat in his foster home but we still had a few issues when he met Ethel, my spook cat. Everything worked out with no harm done to anyone. To me, the most important thing is the individual personality of the dog and the cat(s). 
 

Go back and get her! (Enablers R Us)

[greysmom]

For many of our dogs the adoption kennel was just a pass-through from the track.  Most were within a few days-to-week retiring.  Since we were technically their foster home we picked them up as soon as they walked off the transport.  So I can say that there is really not that much difference between recent retirees and fostered dogs except the amount of time they've spent living in a home environment.  Most of them just walk through the door and head for the couch.

You do have to deal with potty training.  But if you establish a similar schedule for turnouts (after every meal, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, last outs) and are strict about following it - and watch them like a hawk! - you can have that done really quickly.  Some males can be markers, some females pretty stubborn, but they are all smart enough to get the idea really quickly.

You also need to actually *teach* them about a few things - stairs, windows, sliding doors, pottying on a leash, counter surfing - but again, it's all part of the package.  If you establish the rules and are consistent, most learn really quickly.

The cat thing can be an issue, so don't hand over your money until you get that sorted.  The closer they are to the track the longer it can take to get a true read on whether they can co-exist with cats/small dogs.  Having a cat that is really comfortable dealing with dogs is a huge plus!!  There's no better teacher than an angry paw swipe across the nose!  

So what I'm saying is - GO GET THAT GIRL!!!!    

 

ETA - she's a grand daughter of vet Dr Shelley Lake's stud (now deceased) Flying Coal City.  

Edited June 18, 2022 by greysmom

[Bogangles]

My first two greys came from the track via adoption kennel and my current from an adoption group as a foster (she is still here six years later).

I am glad they were basically from the track. My very first dog from the Human Society (not a grey) must have been very bonded with a family he was with which was not easy for him. This is why I like to be able to build a relationship with them this way.

None of them needed house training. Just a period of adjustment.

[okslater]

All three of mine had never been in a house before. The two girls figured everything out very quickly, our boy was an idiot and barked at his reflection for months, didn't like the stairs, and pee'd over everything (our house was covered in plastic for ages so he didn't ruin all the furniture), and we had two emergency visits to the vets as he managed to eat things he shouldn't from a ridiculously tall shelf. Every grey brought home has been a lesson and experience for us. Our latest, Maeby, hides our shoes so we have to hunt high and low to find the matching one, and she will destroy anything leather she finds (I've lost a nice belt, my boyfriend his wallet). She also lied on her cat test, we're too months in and have baby gates everywhere. 

[palmettobug]

She's absolutely gorgeous and I hope you can get her! Muzzle, baby gates, strict correction, working with a trainer...all good tools in your kit.

I will say that Fuzzy is great with INDOOR cats, but wait till she sees a critter outdoors. She even reared up and barked at a bear at MH two years ago.

[ramonaghan]

Plot twist! Got a call from the kennel manager yesterday morning. He said they'd been talking about it and Pearl might not be the best fit for us. Then he proceeded to outline why, which gave us a good laugh because she sounds just like young Sweep! Pearl can be snarky/bossy with the other dogs, she's stubborn, she can take advantage if you're not firm and consistent, etc. He seemed reassured that we are well acquainted with opinionated females. (To be fair, we were a little overwhelmed last weekend by the energy of these young'uns and the staff noticed that, I'm sure. It's just been a while, and we needed to process it.) He did say Pearl has a bit of a prey drive, which is a concern of course, but he also said he thinks most dogs are workable if you're willing to put in the effort.

The manager recommended a boy named BGR Last Call. He is very mellow, likely to be fine with cats, and probably would transition relatively easily to home life. We saw him last weekend and he's very handsome, but we didn't take him out because he was reserved. That fell through because the adopter had a family emergency and won't be able to adopt for a couple of months. I admit "easy" is also appealing, and a boy could be a fun new experience.

So, the current plan is that we'll go back next weekend and decide. That assumes that they're both still available then. We'll all have to remain in suspense a bit longer.  

[FiveRoooooers]

I'll be the first to say that you need both of them. 

[Jerilyn]

You will make it work, either way. The kennel manager will have a good idea what the dogs are like but they could be someone totally different in your home. I thought I was getting a middle aged lady with a host of medical problems who just needed someplace stable to rest - I got the Black Bandit.  

[Remolacha]

I admit I have a weakness for the goofy boys  When you go back next week and spend some time with both of them (if they are both still there!) you will know who is the right one.

[palmettobug]

As you can see, he's related to Fuzzy! She is a super sweet girl with a naughty streak, so maybe that holds the same! OF course, us enablers will tell you to get both and have a household full of Mayhem. 

[EllenEveBaz]

When I've had the luxury of choice, I've tried to get a dog as different as possible from the one I've recently lost.  Even though I never think of the new one as replacing the one who died -- that could never happen -- it reminds me (and my friends/family) that this is a fresh start.  Looks like both your candidates fit that criterion.  (And getting 2 at once would be something completely different, as well!)  

If, after hard work, the cat safety is too perilous, then you return the dog complete with valuable information that will help tremendously with a better fit.