Is a rescue greyhound for us?

[theowlwhowasafraidofthedark]

2 dc, age 11 and 3.
It would be our first ever dog. We’ve babysat various other breeds over the past few years - all these dogs were experienced with children. I’m confused, some people say we need to get a puppy so that it gets used to my youngest. The greyhound rescues seem to be the only I can find that will rehome to homes with younger kids. We’ve met a few at a local rescue. I’d love to hear some of your personal experiences.

Pre- kids had rescue greyhounds. One was very needy, one lovely and easy - neither were reliable off lead.

Fast forward to 3 years ago with a 11, 9 and 7 year old. We went for a pedigree, whippet puppy. Loved sight hounds but wanted one that we could train to be off lead and would be used to us. He’s lovely - typical sight hound, very oversized so not your typical whimpering whippet, trained to recall and retrieves a ball.

I think many rescue dogs are more suited to people without kids living at home and a lot of time for understanding, undivided attention to the dog. Which you are funding with people not willing to rehome to
You.

We have a rescue Greyhound (had him for 4 years and he was 4.5 when we rescued him) and we've now got a 5 month old DS. Greyhounds can be amazing family dogs, if a rescue centre knows you have children they can match you with a gentle giant 😊 On the whole greyhounds are a very docile breed and apart from 2 x 20 minute walks or one longer walk a day they don't need vast amounts of exercise and will happily sleep for most of the time. For us it's the perfect breed and we wouldn't change our boy for anything. Seeing them come out of their shells and learn to be part of a family is so rewarding and special to watch.

I'd be wary of getting a puppy in general but I'd add that Greyhound puppies aren't that common to come across in the UK as so many are instantly shoved into the racing industry. A more mature dog will give you an easier transition into dog ownership in my humble opinion (I've owned 2 dogs from puppies and was adamant I'd rescue after that!)

Should add that our boy had never met a baby before we had DS and he's 8... adapted really quickly and is so gentle around him already 😊 I think it's more about teaching your child how to be round a dog than the other way around if that makes sense- ie gentle stroking, not following the dog round the house and leaving them alone if the dog goes to their bed etc x

We adopted our first greyhound 11 months ago now, a large male. I was 4 months pregnant at the time, he settled in brilliantly. Took a week for him to be completely house trained and to learn his name.
He's absolutely no trouble at all, sleeps literally 90% of the time. Can be left alone, brilliant out on walks, brilliant with other dogs. Brilliant with all people he meets of any age. My baby is now almost 6 month's old and he is amazing with her, never batted an eye.

He is a very easy dog and so I'd certainly recommend the breed for first time dog owners or if you want a dog and still want an easy life! Although we had dobermans before this dog so think there's a lot of breeds easier than what we're used to! 😂

If greyhounds are a bit big op don't forget the lovely Lurcher!!

I wouldn’t get a puppy until your youngest is at school, but a calm rescue greyhound could work out ok

As already said, greyhounds are usually very docile but as with any dog it's important to teach children to treat the dog with respect.
A couple without children that I know took on a greyhound from a family who wanted rid of it because it had nipped or tried to nip their child. The dog never showed the slightest hint of aggression in the new home. The family had apparently expected any dog to put up with any behaviour from the children. Very stupid.

Greyhounds are fantastic but as others have said, train your children how to be around the dog. It's a big adjustment going from kennels to living in a home with people. Maybe a smaller female would be a good choice with a 3 year old.

I think once you own a greyhound you'll never go back to another breed. They are unique and very special 😍

My youngest is pretty good with the dogs we’ve looked after. He’s a gentle soul! I guess my big concern is recall. I’m not sure where the nearest enclosed area is to us, we’re in the countryside and it would be a shame to get a dog that potentially could never go off lead on local walks. On the other hand we’ve really loved the greyhounds we’ve walked with our local RGT and to be honest I’m not that excited about the puppy stage, they’re cute but a bit too toddler like for my liking!

Our first grey was fine off lead, he would gallop around the field much to the delight of the other dog walkers. Him and his lurcher mate would have great fun, our boy would win on the straights but the lurcher would take him on the corners.

Even if you got a grey that couldn't go off lead he'd still enjoy the countryside walks. Go for it 👍

I've had rescue greys for years. Lovely dogs and great with kids. Very lazy and they don't need a huge amount of exercise either. As long as you have a sofa and give lots of cuddles they will be perfectly happy - they are very affectionate and loyal! They don't bark much and genetic issues are rare, although if you are rescuing then be aware that some ex-racers may have interbreeding in their lines as sadly some trainers are only interested in creating a fast dog rather than a healthy one.

Due to the shape of their mouths they are prone to dental issues and decay, so you do need to keep on top of their oral hygiene and clean their teeth regularly. But I would heartily recommend them as a family dog. Most often they do well in pairs (male and female - the bitches tend to be in charge and boss the dog about!) as they are very sociable and will curl up round each other when you're out. I have had all sorts of breeds of dog and greys are by far and away my favourites

Oh and re: lead walking - it depends on the dog. Most ex-racers will need to stay on lead but some can be trained to have recall. My old grey has decent recall and potters about quite happily off lead. My younger grey has zero recall and is as daft as a brush so consequently stays on the lead all the time. You do have to be careful judging this; they are FAST and you will not catch them if they take off. Remember they are sighthounds and if they see something that they want to chase then they will go. A common cause of rescue grey deaths is them being let off lead when they don't have reliable recall and running into roads and being hit by vehicles.

Can you home a rescue greyhound with other dogs? I'd love to have one but I've got a very very bossy little Patterdale bitch and a very old Border cross terrier. The very old dog won't be around much longer (sob) and I don't want my Patterdale to be an only dog (she never has been). But I don't want a puppy as I think she might be too 'top dog'. A large breed adult dog would be perfect, but I don't want to put stress on an already stressed rehomer!

I have seen greyhounds off the lead but as they will spot a rabbit or cat long before you do I really think you should accept that your dog will be on the lead for walks.
As well as being killed on the road they could cause a terrible accident. I wouldn't take the risk.
There's a greyhound rescue within reach of me which has runs for the dogs, and some people take their dogs back there.

From what you say a greyhound would be an ideal pet for your family. Hope it works out for you!

Agree with other posters that, as with any breed of dog, children must be taught the boundaries with their pet, respecting their space etc, but all the Greyhounds I have known have been great with children. My own boy had five small children around him a couple of years ago they come up to him on a walk and he was fine, even when one small tot stroked his tail!! I did kindly ask her to stop! My own children are young adults now but he has always been fine with them and all their visiting friends. My dog does have amazing recall, he will come back mid chase too but I cannot take the credit for this he was 4 when I got him and had raced in Ireland and then I subsequently found out had been used for coursing in Ireland too. Somebody at some point trained him well, although I do keep him muzzled when off lead even now and I am very careful where I let him off, not around small dogs or populated areas with cats about etc. It was a while before I let him off, so he could bond with us too. He enjoys very long walks, more than the two twenty minutes a day. Greyhounds are fabulous dogs and so many need homes, they are also very addictive I probably wouldn’t have any other breed now, aside from a lurcher perhaps. Also as you have a local RGT they will give you lots of support, good luck!

I'm not feeling the greyhound love. My dog has been attacked by two greyhounds that escaped from their owners house, lots of blood deep wounds etc., they really wanted to kill her. Their owner succeeded in getting them off her eventually.
So I wouldn't recommend them as an 'easy' dog.

My sister has had rescue greyhounds when the kids were small. They were fantastic with the kids. Couldn’t let them off the lead though, had to train them to toilet on a walk because they are trained not to. Also they were awful food theives, one could open the oven, dishwasher, fridge and microwave so could never be left in the kitchen alone.

That's a horrible experience you've had @mando12345 and I hope your dog is ok. However I'd urge you not to tar the whole breed with the same brush. Our grey has been attacked twice (both times whilst he was on lead and the other dogs ran up to him from a distance, completely unprovoked). Most recent was a border collie pup and that cost £400 in vet bills and emergency surgery, but I believe it's the owner, not the breed that makes a dog "easy"/ good or not for want of a better term. Not all greys are aggressive.

Our boy goes off lead on country walks (muzzled) and we've trained him to recall and be small dog friendly (he definitely wasn't when we first got him but some are).

Dog attacks come in many forms. Our huge rottweiler was set upon by a toy poodle once!! Think shock prevented her from retaliating!!
Never had any issues with my Lurchers. They have great recall and never gone for anything small and fluffy .

Mando so sorry to hear what happened. I'd echo what Mumma said - any breed of dog can be aggressive and badly behaved. One of mine is currently recovering from an horrific attack where she was ripped apart by a staffy and we nearly lost her. It's awful when dogs are hurt.

I've had two retired greys from RGT. Neither could be off lead at all, as both were raced and were hard-wired to chase small fast moving things and although recall was/is good in enclosed spaces when not chasing something - if off lead and saw a rabbit it would be Game Over!

Both incredibly gentle dogs BUT as I said, not to be trusted with small furry things. I doubt current dog would ever attack another dog, even a small fast moving one, but I would never, ever trust her with something like a cat/rabbit/guinea pig. It's not that they are aggressive dogs - they are the most unaggressive dogs ever, as a rule - but they are bred and trained to chase.

First one of our dogs was actually attacked himself by two off-lead Staffies. Luckily the owner was immediately behind and pulled them straight back but for a long, long time he was absolutely terrified of other dogs.

Lots of good points made by previous posters. One thing that I've not seen mentioned is sleep aggression. Greyhounds often sleep with their eyes open and can wake with a snap and growl if they are disturbed. It can be quite alarming. Some of them outgrow this once in a home but others don't. Children need to be taught not only to not disturb the dog when it's sleeping but also not to go anywhere near it when it's lying down still.

Thanks for all your answers - lots to think about

I did a huge amount of research before we got our rescue grey but I do think we have also been very lucky with our grey.

All I can tell you is that ours has been the easiest transition from no dog to dog that we could possibly have wished for. There is no way on this planet I could have coped with a puppy. Our grey came straight from track via a greyhound sanctuary so had never been in a house before. Regardless of that she settled very easily. She never barks, she never pees in the house (OK twice since we had her), she is tolerant of the kids but has grumbled at them a few times when they've got too lairy - they adore her. We have taught them the signs of her not being comfortable - licking, yawning etc and they are better now. She is not wildly affectionate (yet, although maybe it is still early days - 9 months we've had her) in as much as she doesn't jump all over you but she does like company and will often come and sit where we are.

Off-lead, not brilliant. We are fortunate that we have a field at the back of ours so we can let her off. She is ball obsessed so will ignore other dogs if there is a ball around. I would never let her off unmuzzled without a ball for distraction, just in case.

Oh yes, and as lubyloo said, she does sleep with her eyes open - often on her back with her head lolling off the sofa - it's a disturbing look. She doesn't however, have sleep aggression which is good.

I'm very happy to talk for days about greyhounds so feel free to PM me if you want to.

Also, just as a point, DH wasn't at all sold on them as he's always grown up with labs but trusted my research. He is now absolutely besotted with her and says he will never have another breed because she's so easy and adorable.

@Lubyloo very valid point about not disturbing whilst lying down. I learnt this the hard way with a nip to my hand - greyhounds jaws are impressive 😬