Greyhound- what do i need to know?

[CherryMonster]

i am looking at adopting an ex-racing greyhound. i am currently looking at several different dogs, and hoping to soon decide which one is best for me. they are all very good with kids so no worries there, but i need to know about looking after them, what size bed, collar, lead, bowl etc i need for them too please. hope someone can advise me. x

Forget a bed! They will colonize yours or your sofa! Seriously, get a big one - they stretch out for miles.

When you adopt, a REPUTABLE charity will advise you on what you will need. Main differences from other dogs are the lead, collar and coat.

Greys have no body fat and thin fur so it's normal for them to wear a coat when out on walks - most of them hate the rain too. Many owners also get a fleece indoor coat for cold winter nights, especially if house is cold/draughty/old. Most charities will sell you these items - it's a useful fund raiser for them. Also because of their shape, a normal dog coat won't fit them. Have a look at them on the net, you'll see lots of different types.

Collar - any sighthound has a thin long neck so they should NEVER wear a normal dog collar as they can reverse out of them very easily. Either get a leather greyhound collar or one of the increasingly popular martingale collars. You'll need a lead with a strong clip, not one of those extending ones, they are dangerous and should never be used with greyhounds.

Bowl - any bowl - we use metal ones as they are easy to clean. We raise bowls - use Ikea flower pots as they are the perfect height, but some people feed off the floor or you can get special dog bowl holders.

Please be guided by the charity when deciding on your dog. They will know the dog's personality and history and this is more important than you liking the "look" of a particular dog. Of course it's natural to express preferences e.g. cat friendly but they will be able to match you properly. If the charity simply lets you walk in and pick one based solely on looks then walk away as they are not behaving responsibly.

Also, depending on how old your DC are, please ensure your DC are able to understand that greys are generally quiet dogs that spend a lot of time sleeping - they are not like JRT or similar that are into everything and superbouncy - quite the reverse. You'll get the occasional mad five minutes then it will be back to the sofa for a powernap. Some greys would find a noisy house with lots of kids quite stressful - make sure the dog has somewhere quiet they can go where kids won't disturb them, and that kids understand that greys often sleep with their eyes open so need to learn about not bothering them.

thank you for all that advice! ok, first things first- i will be adopting from the GRWE or greyhound rescue west england. i have seen a proper greyhound collar, and presume i can use a normal lead with that. sofa is fine, but the dog wont be allowed upstairs so i will get a large pad for it. wanted to get a coat but unsure which type is best. wouldnt use an extending lead, have already been told they are no good. house is lovely and warm, and heating is on low overnight in winter. kids are 5, 6, 10 and 12, and are at school all day during the week, then only the 2 older ones over the weekend as the little ones go to their dads. they are all used to dogs, and well able to leave them alone. i have the woman from the centre phoning me tomorrow so will see how good they are. i have looked at raised bowls too. what is the best food for them please?

oh, the other thing is, what sort of toys do they like?

and what food is good for them?

GRWE is an excellent charity and you will be in very safe hands. They actually have an online shop on their website which sells a range of nice coats. Ours have two each - a waterproof Goretex type outer with a fleece lining for very cold days, plus a similar one with a mesh liner for transitional/showery days when they don't want to get wet, or the wind is a bit chilly. To be honest, it's very easy to build up a collection and don't even get me started on the wonderful martingale collars you can buy...

They will vary on toys. Most of ours are completely uninterested in toys - we have one who will occasionally eviscerate a squeaky but I was driven to distraction when doing my Silver Award with one of ours. Our lovely tutor had practically every toy known to man or beast laid out and he turned up his nose at all of them! They don't generally do "retrieve" - some may chase Frisbees on the beach, but they aren't like say a terrier or a lab. I'd be inclined to wait for a bit and see how things go wiht your individual dog. Depending on their background, the whole concept of "play" may well be quite alien to them and it will take a while for the penny to drop.

GRWE run "greyhound playdates" - if you can get to one, I would strongly recommend these. They are a wonderful opportunity to get together wiht other sighthounds and allow them to play together safely off lead - it is a magnificent sight and the dogs love it.

Food - be guided by the charity who will advise if yours has any special dietary requirements. There's nothing particularly special about greys in terms of diet. The only things I'd mention is that they often have poor teeth when they come off the track so plenty of bones will help keep down the plaque/tartar. Also, you should be aware of BLOAT. This condition affects deep chested large breeds such as greys and Great Danes. You should avoid exercising after feeding. To make sure, we have our morning walk before breakfast for the dogs. Ours have two meals a day, but owners vary. Some do two, some three small ones. The other thing to advise on is that htey are usually very accomplished thieves and can reach much further than you would expect. We learned the hard way and our worktops are now pristine! There are several good threads on here about diet - depending on your point of view you might want to give something like a good kibble (such as James Wellbeloved for instance) or move to a raw type diet. They enjoy snacks such as pigs' ears, Bonio occasionally, sardines, eggs etc. As with all dogs, do not expose them to chocolate, onions, grapes etc as these are poisonous.

thank you x

No problem. Am getting very excited for you.

What I haven't said enough is that they make the most wonderful companions. They are very addictive and one is never enough.

Please keep us posted on how things go, and we want to see pics when the new arrival takes up residence

Hello, I can't really add anything to Scuttlebutter's excellent advice, other than to say that we love love love our greyhound. He's the laziest pooch I've ever known, and just wants to lie around lapping up attention from the ds x 3. Fair enough, he had a long and successful racing career and is now loving retirement.

Foodwise we just carried on buying the stuff he had in kennels, supplemented by cooked chicken or beef - he also loves dried pigs' ears which we get at Morrisons. Take care with his or her teeth as they may not have been cared for before.

Our dog has never been upstairs - has never shown any interest. He'd never been in a house before so it's taken him months to get used to home life. Completely house-trained though right from the start. No interest in toys - I think he never had the chance to be a puppy.

We use a harness but if you get one make sure it's padded and fits properly as they have thin skin and you don't want anything rubbing. A full wardrobe of coats is a must . Ours still doesn't have a bed as such, he likes his old duvet and fleece to sleep on and seems very comfortable.

Good luck, I can tell you our boy is the most fantastic companion and seems so loving and grateful for a home. You won't look back .

thank you. can anyone tell me how long grwe take to get back to you please? i spoke to the woman on tuesday who said that she would email my application to the home visit coordinator and that i would hear from her, but its been 2 days now and i have heard nothing. i think i am going to go for cruiz by the way.

Hmm, I would probably chase it, only took a day or so for the kennels to organise a home check for me.

Like many greyhound rescue charities, GRWE is staffed entirely by volunteers. If the co-ordinator is also working full time, they may only have the evenings available. I'd make a brief and polite follow up call tomorrow.

Bear in mind also that GRWE covers the whole of the SW of England, parts of Wales and the Midlands. The co-ordinator will have to liaise with the actual home checker for your area, to arrange visit time - they won't send someone from Cornwall if you are in Bristol and vice versa. With both of these being voluntary posts, this is bound to take a little time.

Cherry, I've just looked on the website. Cruiz is indeed adorable!! However, I'm just a tiny bit concerned as he is listed as being suitable for a "greyhound savvy" home - if they are looking for an experienced owner for him, have you discussed this?

hi scuttle. i have not had a greyhound before, but have done a fair bit of research, and also have a close friend who has had rescue greyhounds before, she will be on hand if i need any help, also, my mum used to work in kennels and has puppy walked for guide dogs so knows a fair bit about dogs too. dont worry, i really have looked into this a fair bit. thanks for your concern though x

i would love to have a rescue greyhound in the future.

was trying to resist looking at GRWE website but gave in! Cruiz is lovely. Its so sad he has been waiting for a home for so long. The older dogs look lovely too. Well they all look lovely. Why o why did i look?!

i wanted a quite young dog as i have children, and as much as i would love to give a last home to an older dog, i dont think it would be fair on the dc's to get an older dog, them get attached to it, and then the poor thing pass away. so i figured, age between about 2-5 years would be good.

i agree cherry monster

i have 3 dogs so cannot rehome any more at the moment. Am also thinking that at some point in the future i would love to rehome an older dog

one of ours is 14 but has grown up with dc. anyway she is a jrt so still bounces around playing a lot and is used to a noisy household

will you keep us updated?

i certainly will keep you updated. am going to ring them tomorrow to find out what the timescale will be.

ok, quick update. the home visit coordinator rang me earlier, and is coming out to do my home visit tomorrow evening.

good luck