Rehoming a greyhound? Advice please

[Noseprawn]

OK, so I have had some excellent advice about potentially rehoming my FIL's dog, thank you.

It's been discussed at length between all interested parties and we are going ahead when we are in our house. However I have been thinking about the logistics of rehoming another dog at the same time. I have always had dogs and always had two. My mum is always banging on about rehoming greyhounds, so...

a) Greyhounds and small dogs that could potentially look like prey (like our Havanese) - OK or not?

b) Do greyhounds actually have a personality? The ones I have met seem so passive they are barely alive. I want a dog that actually loves us (that probably says so much about my psyche!)

c) Greyhounds on their own (well, with another dog) with access to garden for up to six hours, a few days a month? OK or not?

d) Bringing the dogs home - is it better to bring them into the house at the same time, or install our Havanese and then bring in the other dog? I know the rehoming place will want to see their interaction as well.

Thanks!!

Oh also, our Havanese will go off lead at leats twice a day - I've heard it is inadvisable to let a grey off lead. Is this true? And if so, then will it cause problems when I let my Hav off lead but not the grey (i.e., will it go mental and be upset that it's mate is running around and it isn't allowed?) Also, what is the average life expectancy of a greyhound and anything else I should be aware of when looking into it all?

I wouldn't rehome two dogs together personally. Get one settled and then introduce the second one after a few meetings to check that they get on ok.

Greyhounds are fantastic dogs. You can let some off the lead it does depend on their background. However as sprinting dogs they are happy on the lead if they are allowed a quick burst of free running to let off steam.

greyhounds link everthing you need to know!

I agree with Minimu - get one settled first then get another.

Greyhounds vary enormously in behaviour and personality. I was a whisker away from adopting one once and did lots of research and met many of them. Some do just want to chase: some aren't interested at all. The Retired Greyhound Trust are very knowledgeable and will work very hard to match the right dog to you.
I don't think they lack character - instead I think they have very gentle, sensitive natures which perhaps a litlle less obvious than an in-your-face dog like a Springer

I would LOVE a greyhound, am working with two today - one is an ex-racer who had never met the outside world at all, so never seen cars or shops or television or stairs or windows (tried to jump right through one) and the other has v traumatic history. There is something especially special about greyhounds, sort of timeless and beautiful and gentle and soft.

All the ones I've met, bar one, would view any small mammal as prey and are muzzled for this reason. This is common with sight hounds though I think? But I only get to meet ones that need a bit of help settling into new lives, often ex-racers who will probably never be off-lead propositions (although it is possible to hire indoor riding schools some evenings for this purpose).

Have a word with Trudy at Greyt Exploitantions. GE is a campaigning (non profit) organisation but Trudy can and will do more than campaign. She's an owner of several Greys, fosters them, transports them, and has lots of rescue contacts. What she doesn't know isn't worth knowing!

That aside, Bella has summed it up nicely (oh god, this has gone from me upsetting poor Bella, to me realising I'd hurt her and apologising, to the Bella-Val mutual appreciation society! Forgive us both, we're just two nutters for dogs!).

www.greytexploitations.com

Sorry, that should read Greyt Exploitations.

Greyhounds are absolutely wonderful and I can't recommend them strongly enough. We have had ours for nearly a year now and she definitely has a personality, though she is very laid back. We chose her for that very reason as we're out at work for most of the day. She is fine as long as she gets taken out for a walk morning and evening.

Ours was only 2 and a failed, rather than a retired, racer. That may make a difference - dogs who have raced may be harder to train (or maybe ours just didn't have much chasing instinct, which is why she never made it onto the race-track?) - however, we do let ours off the lead and she is fine and will come back happily as long as she knows I have a treat in my pocket. (She is also the greediest dog I've ever had!) I am careful about letting her off around other dogs - especially small ones, and especially dogs she doesn't know... She has her 'pals' whom she plays with and I know she's fine to be off-lead around. Dh is braver than me (I had a bad experience with a previous dog, who got attacked and I had to split up the fight... long story, but it's made me nervous) but I let her off as long as I can see no other dogs in the vicinity. I've never had a bad experience with her chasing another dog, though she will run up to dogs very fast if off the lead, which might scare some. However (and I was told it was impossible to train a greyhound to do this, but it clearly isn't - though I can't say how usual it is), she will come back when called even if there is something to chase ion sight (again, as long as she knows I have food in my pocket). She doesn't mind being on the lead when other dogs are off it, so I don't think it'd be a problem to let your Havanese off and keep a greyhound on the lead. She doesn't pull - my skinny 7-y-o walks her no problem. I don't muzzle her when out - the only time I've done so is when I've let her off the lead in a place where I know there are HUNDREDS of rabbits, for obvious reasons!

Ours came from the Retired Greyhound Trust and had never been in a house before, was completely freaked by stairs and really had no idea what being a pet was all about. It didn't take long though... she was house trained in about 48 hours and loves cuddling up with my dds and generally being part of the family. She is incredibly greedy, so we have to hide the bin and make sure that no food is left in reach. She has chewed a bit - dd's favourite teddy is now minus an ear, and several Sylvanian Family characters have lost their heads (she seems to particularly like Sylvanian Families ... dh says they are the only bunnies she's ever managed to catch!?), but mostly she isn't destructive. Often she just carries stuff about - so I'll come in from work and find a glove or a toy in the middle of the floor, but not damaged, just sort of dumped there.

We lost our much-loved terrier cross a year ago and swore we were not getting another dog until we had more time to devote to it. We lasted a month before the doglessness of the house became unbearable. Our greyhound has been everything we hoped for. There are so many out there who deserve a great home. Go for it! (I'd quite like another one... but dh is resisting atm.)

Both before and after getting our dog I have been going to the Retired Greyhound kennels on a Sunday morning and helping walk some of the dogs there. The dds love it and there is also an enclosed paddock where the dogs can be let off, which was nice before we got ours trained enough to be let off anyway! It's quite clear if you walk a dog and spend a bit of time with it which ones are desperate to chase/kill something and which (like ours) couldn't really care less. The really keen ones are constantly scanning the horizon for 'prey' and will leap and pull on the lead if they see the slightest movement. The laid-back ones just walk along with you. So you should be able to find one that won't see your Havanese as a tasty snack, but it might not be the first one you see.

HTH

Oh, do shut up, Vallhala

As I've said before, we sing from the same hymn sheet, don't we? I admire your passion and dedication to what you do. So do shut up!

p.s. Any luck with that GSD pup that was on here a while back? You don't need to give me specifics or an outcome as such, just is it generally improving or not? Thank you

I have a failed ex-racer Greyhound - he's thick as shit, cant ever let him off the lead as he just loaps off and never returns, spent hours on the golf course looking for him, heavily pregnant to! We use an extendable lead now, which he seems happy with. Having said that - he's a lovely affectionate dog, who just loves to be stroked, he likes peace and quiet so if the other dog is hyper then it probably wont like it - my Greyhound does not like our spaniel. But dont get 2 dogs at same time, I have 3 of the buggers and really want to get rid of at least one of them, cos its just too much with 2 small DCs and 3 dogs.
Good Luck whatever you decide!

They are lovely dogs, they are very quiet and well behaved and some are more outgoing than others, some take a little time to get used to living in a house as a pet and getting used to the hustle and noise of a household, they can be a little afraid/shy at first and may not even wag their tail for the first couple of weeks, but they are very friendly and will come over for rubs etc! Some are more confident from the start though.

They don't pull on the lead, when out walking them with other dogs that can be left off the lead, even when the other dogs run ahead and even out of sight the greys make no attempt to follow.

Some of them can even be trusted in the same room as cats, the majority of them are fine with small dogs as well, but as with any dogs of a considerable size or strenght difference, you should supervise them and keep them seperate when your not at home.

Do greyhounds have a personality?
Please refer to the thread, the most kleptomaniac dog in suffolk.