Going to see a rescue greyhound tomorrow - what do i need to know?

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

Hi first time on this board - waves to everyone.

After ALOT of thought we have decided that it is the right time for a dog. After ALOT of research we have decided on a retired greyhound.

We have been invited to go and see a bitch tomorrow. What do i need to ask the rescue centre (reputable as far as i can tell - well known, good reviews etc)?

They are very keen on getting the right dog for the right family but what should i be asking, what do i need to know?

Thanks in advance

I don't know but eeeeeeeeeeek!! Exciting

Sorry, unhelpful

Great choice, lovely lazy dogs. I grew up with greyhounds, my mum was a foster carer for greyhound trust and when I became a adult I used to home check for them.

They will ask you lots of questions and they will try to match you up with the perfect dog, just be totally honest about your circumstances, work life, how much exersize you would do, if you ever have kids in your house etc.

Find out about prey drive and also the confidence of the dog. Decide what you could manage in behaviour.

My two greyhounds were very confident and relaxed in all situations but some can be very nervous.

One of mine had a very high prey drive and never lost it till she died at 11. No small animal was safe so you had to be very careful. Her sister could have lived with a cat or rabbit.

They are often affectionate with their people but don't often go crazy at strangers - hence why people often thing they are aloof. But they can be very friendly.

A photo of my girls (in their red fleeces) proving greyhounds can sit and be friends with other breeds.

Thanks everyone, NOW beautiful looking dogs and so cute in their coats.

Prey drive and recall are two things i am concerned about so i need to know why they have been rehomed - retired or not made the grade.

My bro has a lovely but very old staffy so new dog has to be good around smaller dogs.

I stay home with my small children so obviously i need to see how she reacts around my kids. I am keen to see how long they have had her, and where she came from - a stray or from a kennel, so how much reliable info they have on her.

Aren't retired greyhounds known for having bad (neglected) teeth? So you could ask about this for insurance purposes maybe. All the best with it!

Good luck meeting her! If she's come straight from kennels/the track, remember that she won't know anything about living in a house, and may need a lot of reassurance about everyday things.

And if she comes to you, just a reminder that sighthounds must never be walked on a normal collar or an extending lead (even attached to a harness). They need special wide sighthound collars (I like martingales which tighten slightly to stop them slipping over their head) or a harness.

Coats are a necessity in and out of the house, and Milgi coats are fabulous - my older lurcher has moved into his fleece housecoat for the winter now.

If they are ex-racers then they often still go after small furries.

As with any dog what experiences have they had that affect their behaviour or personality.

They are prone to dental problems.

They aren't the sort of dog you play Frisbee and fetch with.

They are incredibly lazy and sleep for about 16 hours a day.

Lovely, lovely dogs. We had one and he was wonderful. Brilliant with children and other dogs but NOT good with cats. He actually killed one and he passed the cat test with flying colours. When a small furry runs, they can't stop themselves!

Recall was appalling, I could stand 5 feet away calling him by name and he wouldn't realise it was him I was talking too!

They can be fairly traumatised going into a house as opposed to a kennel.

Ours hid on my bed for 2 days. Then he discovered the sofa and all was well!

Ah yes, the sofa. Kiss goodbye to the sofa. From now on it will have a lanky beast stretched over its entirety.

Patio doors can be a problem. Archie ran into ours on a regular basis for about the first 6 months.

Terrible, terrible thieves! Do NOT leave anything tasty on the work surfaces as it will not be there when you come back!

He suffered in later life with his teeth, so make sure you insure him/her! Our vet said the best thing for grey teeth was dried dog food, not wet.

They are honestly the most wonderful, affectionate and kind dogs. I would love another but my house is tiny and already crammed!

Oh yes, and they carry 15% less body fat than any other breed so coats are essential. Plus if you make one go out into rain they will make you feel incredibly guilty. And they need special collars shaped for their delicate necks. And you can't walk them on an extendible lead. Not a good idea with their acceleration up to 40mph!

can't resist posting a pic of Archie. posh name Barnane Blend, he won over £5000. If they are ex racers they tattoos in the ear are interesting, You can find out their racing history and breeding etc. Archie was bred in Clonmel and raced in southern Ireland before coming over here and racing mainly on the peterborough track. We lost him at 12 years old to bone cancer 3 years ago and miss him every day.

Oh yes they are foodies! Don't leave anything in reach because they'll snaffle it.

They are really sweet though and have a good sense of 'emotion', they can sense anxiety in a human and will come and give you a lean (cuddle).

They can be good with children/dogs/cats etc but it depends on the personality of that particular dog. Another shameless photo.

We rehomed 2 x 18month old sisters who never raced but grew up in kennels.

Regarding off lead. This needs to be built up carefully. We managed to hire a fully fenced field that we could exercise and build up recall. You need to analyse the environment as they can obviously run fast!

We would never have another breed of dog.

We lost the Christmas turkey to Archie. That was less than funny at the time! He legged it down the garden carrying it.

Thanks everyone, looking forwards to a doggie related spending spree. I have seen some lovely coats and collars. After all this i might need to add a new sofa to the list!

Off to google pet insurance

Petplan are good. we cost them a fortune and they never quibbled.

If you want to ogle collars, then look at MeggieMoo - her collars are truly things of beauty and incredibly tough. Her webbing and fleece leads are lovely and comfortable to hold.

I subscribed to 'Which?' for the sole purpose of finding the best pet insurance. Top rated was John Lewis premium ... and in our case anyway, it's cheaper than Petplan.
I'm sure I read somewhere that greyhounds have sensitive tummies, so best not to deviate from their diet at first!

Oh, exciting!

IMO finding the right DOG is more important that the right BREED, although breed specific characteristics are of course important.

We are 6 months in to living with our now 2 year old ground boy.
The learning curve has been steep but very rewarding.

Although never raced, he has a high prey drive so IME it's not about training but more about innate instinct. Beware.
He is very fixated on me, I still cannot leave the room without him following me to the toilet. Bizarrely, he is fine being left alone for up to 2-3 hours. He goes nuts with excitement when I get home, but seems to just lie on his bed when he is on his own. Neighbours have never reported any whining.
He poos up to 6 times daily . Nothing wrong with him, but we are still playing around with different foods. It's a LOT of poo to pick up….

He was neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and had his teeth done by the rescue we got him from, so has perfect teeth although damaged enamel from chewing the rods of his kennel. Apparently this is not uncommon in greyhounds.

He would chase a ball to the point of exhaustion - he retrieves and retrieves and retrieves . Nobody told him that he is not a labrador.

Sorry, I am going on about my DDog

So, ask: ?prey drive, ?what food is she on just now, ?what does the adoption price include, ?what does she value: food or play or cuddles (important to know how to motivate her).

I prioritised working on recall, so ours is not bad now, but I would not trust him at all if there is any kind of distraction squirrels around.

Fwiw, I keep mine on the lead if at all unsure about what's going on around us as I believe that a muzzled, off-lead greyhound can still seriously hurt another animal

Be prepared to absolutely stunned by their speed! And the noise!! The noise they make when they run at full tilt is amazing

Ours used to be scared of open water - now not so much….

Love these dogs. Lazy thieves!

Have you been op? How did it go?

We went and she was beautiful BUT my 3 yr old was very very wary of her, she wouldnt stop hiding behind me.
We are going again next week to take her for a little walk and see if my DD thaws.

I dont quite understand it, my DD has never been scared by any dog and we have dogs in the family.

Feeling torn as i really want a dog but dont want DD to be scared. Hoping next week sees an improvement.

My DS however just wanted to cuddle her, dog was understandably wary.

They don't look like your typical dog so I can see why a kiddo would be weary. Hopefully she'll come around xx

We did have that reaction from some children around Archie. I think it was because of his size, he was a big lad. He used to be very disappointed they wouldn't play with him! I should think your DD will be fine, she will get used to her. As long as the dog ticks every other box I would go for it.

I was a real animal loving kid, but distinctly remember feeling wary of greyhounds. I think I was worried by their skinniness! They're not the cute, cuddly dogs that kids see in their picture books or on the telly! Good luck with it OP, and do let us know what happens

I'm jealous! I really want a greyhound but DH doesn't like the way they look malnourished

Nothing else to contribute really!

Lunchpack, you could look at a lurcher instead - depending on their cross they are usually less bony than greyhounds or salukis. My ddog1 is very bony (prob greyhound x saluki), but ddog2 is much more solid.