Taking greyhound to the park

[EJBnewguy]

Hi! 

Apologies if this isn't the right spot for this post - but any help would be greatly appreciated! 

We're thinking of adopting a Greyhound, and I understand that we should probably let him/her off leash unless we're in a fenced in area. But what would you do if you were going to the park (reguler park, not dog park) to sit on a blanket and read a book? Would you hold the leash the whole time? This might be a silly question, but I'm terrified of accidentally letting this *currently hypothetical* greyhound runaway and get hurt. So I guess a follow up question is, how aggressively will greyhounds try to run if you leave the door open for a second, or something like that. I of course would make sure the dog is safe, but I guess I'm just wondering if I'm right to hyperfixate on this. 

 

Thanks! 

 

 

[ramonaghan]

The fact that you're asking at all is a good thing! Yes, you need to keep them leashed and under your control even in a regular park setting (you can use a longer leash in a slipknot around your wrist). Even on a restaurant patio (you can secure the leash to your chair). Even to walk the 15 feet from the driveway to the front door. 

Our UK friends are generally a little more relaxed about this, and if the dog has perfect recall that's their prerogative. I know my dogs don't have that kind of recall and other people's dogs are often  so personally I wouldn't risk it in anything but exceptional circumstances.* Even if they don't run 9 times out of 10, it only takes one time to end badly.

* I let mine off-leash to run on a secluded, dog-friendly beach in November because 1) it was a small island with dunes on one side and ocean on the other, and 2) it was the off-season and there was literally no one else on the beach. One hound ran for a bit at full speed, then took a hard left directly into the ocean. The other hound took a hard right into the dunes. Both were fine, but it just goes to show: common sense—they don't have much! I didn't do it again.

[Time4ANap]

What Rachel said above. You'll see in our signatures that most of us have had multiple, multiple greyhounds. No matter how well-behaved they may be, I've always kept a death grip on the leash of every one when out and about. We typically don't do off leash parks or dog parks, but relied on a few friends with large fenced yards for play time. 

You'll find that the dogs will often follow your lead and sit on a blanket when you do. The issue is that there are lots of triggers in parks like kids, other dogs, wildlife(LOOK - SQUIRREL!!!!), and you don't wantto be chasing a dog that runs 45 mph. We always carry a squawker or rabbit call when out walking. Dogs who raced are used to coming back to their trainer when the squawker is sounded. Our first dog got out of a secure fenced yard one day when he found a very tricky escape route. I used the squawker and he came right back through that escape route and sat at my side. 

Don't let all of the "rules" deter you. Dealing with a greyhound becomes second nature quickly. Good luck! 

[mansbestfriend]

Hi EJBnewguy. Yes, in short always keep a greyhound (or any dog) safely tethered when out and about. A nice quiet park can introduce your dog to some sights, sounds and smells of the area from a safe distance. Careful of triggers that can switch its brain to chase&catch mode though.   Safety is the best policy. At first, open doors can be an open invitation to bolt through and keep on running.   

It's especially important IMO to constantly (days/weeks/months/years) build a predictable and trusting relationship.  Greyhounds are smart, but often learn new behaviours in Geyhound time  .

Cheers. PS. Having a Grey that suits your lifestyle helps.

[EJBnewguy]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the kind responses! 

1 hour ago, Time4ANap said:

Don't let all of the "rules" deter you. Dealing with a greyhound becomes second nature quickly. Good luck! 

Yeah  - I think I'm scared that I'll constantly be worrying and on edge. Glad to hear that it feels normal. 

[FiveRoooooers]

Seconding what the others have said, and suggesting that you read carefully the pinned thread at the top of this topic entitled “Trust.”

[racindog]

A greyhound is a sight hound-nature says they hunt to get food to stay alive- by sight. They'll use their nose to but regular dogs can't compete with a greyhounds sight.  My greyhound Octane is an excellent Nosework dog and has 2 titles earning both on the first try at the individual levels. Doing Nosework is fun with greyhounds! -but I digress.  They can see a paper cup blowing across the ground a half mile away-their genes will tell them to chase it.  So the answer is yes. The only way to be safe is to maintain positive control at all times.  There is a possible answer for you however.  A quality bungee leash can clip to your belt or anything else and keep your hands free to read etc.  It is specially designed for this and is safe unlike the deadly extendable leashes unsuspecting owners are duped into using. NEVER NEVER use an extendable leash.  Here is a quality bungee leash. Just to be extra safe I would clip it to a safe harness and not their neck collar (they have enough neck issues already).  That long slender neck designed so they can reach down and grab the game on the run should be protected from as much force as possible with regards to everything. There are some cheaper bungee leashes and with different features etc. at this site which is known for being good quality. https://www.rayallen.com/ray-allen-tactical-bungee-leash-w-frog-clip/ I have the bungee leash in the link for use with my working dog but wouldn't hesitate to clip it on my hound if it would be convenient.  Notice the 'clip' called a Frog Clip.  That is safe and is as reliable as you can get.  Most of the regular snaps are junk and as we all know it is not unusual for them to fall off or wear out prematurely etc. and they are certainly not strong(don't forget a greyhound is a large and powerful dog). The frog clip won't fall off and it won't break and in an emergency it will release while under any kind of pressure.  IMO it is the safest, longest lasting, and most reliable leash clip on the market. It is imported and it cost ~$50 which is why the leashes cost so much that have it but it is worth the peace of mind alone.  I have had regular snaps fall off  etc and I don't want to go there again. The frog clip actually was picked up from the aviation community/parachutes etc. Thank you so much for caring so deeply about the houndies safety! IMO they are special and deserve only the best of everything including their equipment.  A few measly bucks spent on the best equipment could save their life.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Everything these folks have said!

I will say that scared feeling will go away... don't let go of the leash, but as you form a bond with your hound, and they settle in, you won't feel like you need a death grip on them.
They will stay with you. 
We have always had our greys on leashes outside of our yard, and will continue to do so. You many critters and cars around. 

On another note, if you do adopt a grey, you are gonna fall in love!
Good luck!

[LBass]

11 hours ago, EJBnewguy said:

Yeah  - I think I'm scared that I'll constantly be worrying and on edge. Glad to hear that it feels normal. 

Honestly, the vigilance with gates and leashes ends up not feeling like a constant worry, but just safe habits.  I remember early in my own Greyhound journey, I spent time helping a local Greyhound owner look for her lost hound.  The dog's name was Rain. We never found her.  She'd been staying at the home of a friend and got out through a gate someone left open.  I remember her story now, almost 20 years later.  It's just a solid reminder to be careful with the dog you'll grow to adore. They really are wonderful companions.

[ShebasMom]

It's very scary when a greyhound gets loose and is on the run. It happened a couple times with Sheba (both times a delivery person left the gate open and I didn't notice). Both ended well but my gut wrenched and my heart dropped.

[EllenEveBaz]

I think there would be a lot fewer unplanned puppies, lost, or killed-in-traffic dogs of all breeds if everybody followed the basic sighthound safety guidelines.   In a short time, it's second nature to follow them.  

I used to live in a city that had a lot of events in parks and I would take 2 hounds on what's called "dogwalker" leashes -- extra long with option of clipping them securely around your waist.  I'd have them around my wrist as we went in, but once settled down on the grass and blanket, I'd hook the leashes around my waist to keep my hands free and be a secure anchor in case one bolted.  (Even a greyhound wouldn't be able to jerk my butt off the ground  )  I never had an attempted escapee.  Yes, there are a lot of diversions in parks, but they are also a kind of greyhound heaven -- soft blanket in the sun or shade as preferred for napping, human within easy reach, usually food involved, and people stopping by to admire the beautiful dog and give pets.   Because when you're out in public with a greyhound, you are an attention magnet.   Relax and enjoy!  (Except for the occasional whiner.)  

PS:  "Hypothetical" would be a good name for a greyhound.  You could call him or her Hype for short.  Just sayin'.    

Edited April 19 by EllenEveBaz

[MerseyGrey]

On 4/19/2024 at 3:10 PM, EllenEveBaz said:

 

PS:  "Hypothetical" would be a good name for a greyhound.  You could call him or her Hype for short.  Just sayin'.    

 I wouldn’t trust a new greyhound off leash in a place with so many distractions but I think that once they get to know that you’re their human, taking them for long lazy afternoons watching the world go by sounds like bliss. They are intelligent enough to know you’re their source of food (so will probably come back to you eventually) but really have no common sense so won’t think twice about chasing a cat/squirrel/crisp packet into traffic. Like someone else said, it becomes second nature -like watching a toddler - and you’ll find plenty of other things which will displace the ‘are they going to escape’ worry.

When we’d had Buddy for a few weeks, I let him into the back garden to do his business. A few minutes later, I couldn’t see or hear him, so wondered outside to find that someone had left our garden gate open. I ran out to the front to look for him to find him standing patiently at the front door, waiting to be let back in. It was tea time, after all (clever enough to wait at the front door, not clever enough to find his way back through the gate )