Greyhound not fancying walks

[SilverDragonfly1]

About 10 days ago we adopted a retired racer and he has fitted into the family beautifully. House trained, very calm and friendly- already feels like we've had him ages. He's our fourth dog, but the other three (all deceased) were retrievers and a lurcher cross, so we're used to dogs that get very excited about walks.

Flash only has short walks and even these seem to tire him out (20 mins or so twice a day). Yesterday it was very warm so I waited until evening to take him out and he just wouldn't get off the sofa- simply looked at me even when I showed him his muzzle and lead. I tried again about an hour later when it was noticeably cooler but he still wouldn't get up. He is eating, toileting and all the rest quite happily trotting in and out of the gardenand raced outside when it was dark to warn off a fox, so I guess not a health issue like pain or sickness.

Today he was happy to go out but did slow down on the way home- again it's a warm day when the sun is out.

So, is it normal for a greyhound to refuse a walk if it's hot for them or otherwise uncomfortable weather? And will their health, fitness or temperament suffer if they occasionally don't have a walk by choice?

[Spidey66]

No personal experience, but greyhounds tend to only go for brief periods of intense activity, which is why they were trained for races.

The warm weather may also be making him inactive.

[Nesssie]

Very normal, more so in very hot or very cold weathers.
Retired racers are just happy living the quiet life!

Just obviously make sure you don't overfeed him if hes not working it off, but tbh I've never seen a fat greyhound!
I would try and encourage at least 1 walk a day, just to get a bit of stimulation from the smells/sights etc.

[SilverDragonfly1]

Thanks so much :) What a relief. I know they rest a lot and are built for speed not stamina, but a dog refusing a walk- twice!- is completely new to me. He obviously knows what is best for him, so will let him take the lead there (haha, dog pun).

[Fresh01]

Start buying coats too - you will end up with a range 😊 Ours will not even going into the back garden to pee if raining without her lightweight raincoat on. Then she has a warm waterproof coat for winter.

And a few others coats just because 😜

[SilverDragonfly1]

I can believe that! I already got him a raincoat for when it's due to shower in the next few days... and wool to make him a snood... and already looking at autumn/winter coats.

[OhDear2200]

My grey cross literally can sleep 23 hours a day. I feel guilty sometimes thinking he’s bored so try to encourage him to play in the garden. Well once in the garden he finds a spot, yep you’ve guessed it, and goes to sleep.

[OhDear2200]

Oh and yes going for a pee in the rain is a slow process of us standing by the open door with him looking at me as if to say ‘I could just pee inside this one time’.

[elizabethdraper]

Greyhounds need very little exercise. 2 twenty minute walk s a day is plenty.

They are lazy buggers

[dontticklethetoad]

I don't own one, but I have two friends who have one each.
They are both total couch potatoes

[greytminds]

Mine has never been bothered about going for a walk. Sometimes she literally runs away from us and rolls around on her back to make it impossible to get the lead on. Her idea of a perfect life would be no walks at all, but a daily chance to have a good run on a sandy beach for a short burst, before resuming her slumber.

[SilverDragonfly1]

Thanks all. I'm reassured. He did agree to a walk yesterday- this evening we'll see!

[gandalf456]

I grew up with greyhounds and never heard of them not wanting a walk.

However it is very true that they're lazy and don't need much ecercise. 2 20 minutes is ample

[ControversialFerret]

Completely normal. They are sprinters, not marathon runners - and will happily spend 23.5hrs a day asleep!

Two 20 min walks every day are enough for most greys. Some aren't bothered even with that. Watch him in the heat - their low body fat means that they aren't good at regulating their body temp. Consequently they can get cold or too hot very quickly. If it's over 19/20 degrees then we don't walk ours out; they have a pootle round the garden instead.

The other thing to keep on top of is their teeth. The long muzzle and shape of the mouth means they are very prone to plaque and dental problems. Regular tooth brushing is essential. A knuckle bone from the butcher is also very good and knocking the tartar buildup off their back teeth.

[yetwig]

Totally normal, mine used to be the most happiest on her back with her feet in the air 😂 lost her 5 months ago but happy memories 🙂

[Hodgeheg3]

One thing to bear in mind is that the walks may be quite stressful for him. If he’s a retired greyhound who has come straight from kennels then he’ll be seeing lots of new things that he isn’t used to on every walk. We rehomed our ex-racing greyhound 3 months ago and initially he was stressed by: all other dogs except greyhounds, wheely bins, people on bicycles, children on scooters, busy roads, sudden noises etc. He’s got much more confident over time but maybe initially a short walk and a run in the garden will be enough stimulation for your dog while he settles in. Oh and you can buy cooling collars which are good for hot days.

[FenellaMaxwell]

It’s a greyhound. They don’t walk if they can avoid it. 🤷‍♀️

[Hodgeheg3]

Just remembered, our greyhound also started being much happier about walks when we stopped using a lead and bought a harness instead.

[Elliebellbell]

My retired racer is 12 now and it's increasingly difficult to get him to walk the length of himself. He's happiest spark out on the couch. Sleeps for approximately 20 hours a day.

[ControversialFerret]

My girl is 8 and not remotely interested in going for walks - to the point that she runs away when you get her lead out! She likes wandering round the garden in nice weather, sniffing everything. She flatly refuses to go out if it's raining - even when she's been in all night. My boy likes walks but no more than half an hour, but when we first got him he found the outside world terrifying. Even now, he's still happier doing zoomies round the garden; we're lucky as we have a very big and secure piece of land for them to run around on.

It's a good point about ex racers being stressed. Neither of mine had ever been house dogs before. Both had to be house trained, taught how to walk up the stairs, not to go mental at the hoover etc! Everything is new and overwhelming - it takes them time to settle down.

[79andnotout]

Mine refuses to walk in winter. The clocks change, she looks out the window, and then gets excited when you pick up her lead instead of running upstairs and hiding in my bed. It's been the same cycle for three years now. When I got her I thought it would be great that I finally had a running companion. Two runs with me and then after that she hid every time I got my Lycra out.

[Purplecatshopaholic]

My boy is Lazy As! Going for a walk is not always appreciated when sleeping could be done instead, lol

[hoopieghirl]

My Greyhound joey ex racer loves his walks but..... As soon as we get home it's up on the sofa for a 5 hour snooze. Love him to bits but he is as lazy as they come. He has taken to retirement like duck to water.

[SmallHope]

YABVU not to post a pic!

[Sexnotgender]

Pics are required...
My boy doesn’t walk. We’re working on it but he’s not having any of it.

Loves a hurtle round the garden though.

[TheJellyBabyMadeMeDoIt]

My parents rehomed this great lump of a GH in February. He'd been a very successful racer and had only retired last August.

It took him a lot of time to adjust. Walks were more: a few steps, stop and stare in bewilderment at everything, sniff the ground, 2 more steps, stare some more, look at mum with the most scared expression and then slink to her side, walk over.

Over the months he's come on brilliantly, he actually knows when it's walk time and starts whinnying at dad and doing crazy twirls (but he's like a giraffe on ice!!)

However he's not liking the weather right now. Dad takes him in the morning for his 20 minutes then he's sparked out either in front of the fan (see pic) or in his cage (always left open,its his safe space)

Mum and dad have been quite worried about him recently but this thread has reassured me and I'll send it over to them.