Why do this breed always seem so well behaved?

[takeonabrew]

I live near a massive country park and see loads of them

For every breed, there's always nutty ones!

But I've never seen a really hyperactive, poorly trained greyhound

Do they just attract a certain type of owner?

Genuinely just curious. They always seem so sensible and a bit eye roll at other nutty dogs

For reference, I don't have a dog at the moment but use to have a rather cuddly and lazy English springer spaniel

She was lovely, bless her soul. But that was unusual for that breed, I think

The ones that are nervous, reactive and flighty will tend to be walked in quiet areas or very early/late.
They are very large dogs and it’s a struggle to hold them if they want to bolt/buck, so people won’t tend to bring them to a busy place if they are likely to do so.

From the small amount I know. Despite being used to race they are quite lazy dogs who like to sleep, laid back breed.
I think they are so elegant and love seeing them out walking.

Yes they're beautiful to look at, I find them like little baller dancers trotting about

I don't think there is another breed of that big size who's equally as chill

A good friend use to have a greyhound (she died of old age). She was extremely lazy and wouldn't go for a walk if there was the slightest hint of rain

They get trained to walk well on the lead for the racing industry. Mine are very good unless they see a squirrel. Some of them are nervous - I overcome this by always having two, one more confident so they relax the other one.

I'm only 5 foot one but I comfortably walk two 35kg dogs on my own as they usually just trot along beside me on lead. They are lovely dogs.

Oh near me there are lots of calm ones but quite a few who don't seem well behaved... one off lead and ran so hard into my daughter she toppled over (she's 7!)
Another the owner was on the phone and dog off lead and it ran circles round me and my dog winding Ddog up no end 😂 The only other one we see regularly is walked in a muzzle so I'm assuming it's maybe not that chill..?!
We are near to a greyhound track and I assume most are rescues from there.

My greyhound is usually chill. When he was younger he did love a mad zoom off lead, but only briefly then he was happy to walk by my side.

I think the rescue dogs are trained from a young age to walk nicely on lead, to make life easier for the handlers.

I love them as a breed! The only negative for me is that the rescues tend not to play "dog" games like fetch. They only like running and chasing!

I have a greyhound, they're fab! Very chilled, mine is almost eleven now so he's very chilled but used to have a mad zoomy now and then!! Beautiful pets and very relaxing to be around. We sometimes watch another one and if I'm sitting in a room with both I normally drift off into a wee nap, and I'm really not a napper usually! Very relaxing to be around with lovely quirky personalities !

Sometimes they're muzzled if the owner isn't sure what triggers their prey drive? Or if they're bad for munching things!

I used to muzzle one of mine because if I let them off lead, she’d nip my other one in excitement as they zoomed around. She didn’t seem to get the memo you’re not supposed to make contact.

one of mine has a high prey drive but we’ve still managed to train her to live with cats. Squirrels in the wild would be another matter, though.

I've met a few reactive greyhounds sadly - there was on near here who pulled her owner over several times and bit a couple of other dogs. I don't if she died or the owner re-homed her as I've not seen her out with the dog in months, but I always kept well away.

We live close to a greyhound rehoming centre and people just turn up to walk them. They walk past our house all the time and we've been to help out and walk them. I've never come across an aggressive one, 90% of them walk really well on the leads. I'd say maybe 10% pull on the lead and 5% are reactive towards other dogs, they mostly just ignore them.

The only time they go nuts is if they see something small and furry. Off the lead they might bolt if they see a rabbit, but generally they will run like a loon for 5 mins then want to go home to a comfy sofa

Gorgeous dogs imo.

My experience of greyhounds are they're lovely but not the brightest breed.

Plus they are generally pretty lazy.

Brains are certainly optional with the boys, I find, although they make up for it with cuddles. My girls were always very clever.

Before I opened your post I knew it would be greyhounds

We have 3. It's just them. They are very calm and lazy 24 hours a day. Maybe five mins odd running a day around the garden if feeling energetic .

Oh yes ours are always muzzled outside as they think squirrels, cats and small dogs are electric hares. Lovely with people though.

@RuthW how do you get on with three? We are moving house soon from a small terrace to a bungalow with an acre and thinking of going from two to three. They’re very addictive! Not sure we have enough room in the bedroom, though, as they insist on being in the same room as me, the food machine.

I've not really been up close to greyhounds apart from once years ago when we still had our own dog. I was chatting with the greyhound owner stroking her dog's head then I got 'the lean' 😁. This lovely big soft greyhound leaning his full weight against me - adorable. Would love to have one when husband retires but we have cats and I don't want to take the risk.

Our friends have a greyhound.

He's very gentle and lazy for the most part but he does steal food and has zero recall! He walks beautifully on a lead but when they do let him off he tears around and only comes back of his own accord. He also has separation anxiety.

I have a small breed dog and am wary of greyhounds on walks as if their prey drive kicks in my dog is dead. I had a dog once attacked by a lurched and there is fuck all anyone can do about it - something in their brains switches off and all thought is replaced by instinct. No blame, that’s how they are.

i’d be reassured to see one muzzled. I wouldn’t assume aggressive, I’d think a responsible owner protecting other small furries.

For some unknown reason many greyhounds seem to take an instant dislike to my dog (lab cross who looks mostly like a black lab). For some other unknown reason my usually placid, laid back dog also dislikes greyhounds!

We’re away at the moment & I was thinking how there aren’t as many greyhounds in the town where DH’s family live. Halfway round the walk a greyhound we’ve never met/seen before starts aggressively barking from its garden and runs to the gate to bark at her. She barked back (which she wouldn’t do if it was, for instance, a jack Russell) and I had to hold on tight.

I wish I knew why they have this mutual animosity, or how to resolve it!

I thought this would be greyhounds or possibly standard poodles, greyhounds always seem such nice and gentle dogs.

Greyhounds are generally very calm. We are on our second retired one. Generally (though there are always exceptions) they’ve had decent life, having stayed with their mother and siblings for maybe a year, then have been treated well to be the excellent athletes they are, living with others of their breed and (as a previous poster says) learning to walk well on the lead.

I’m not convinced they’re short on brains. They know exactly what to do to get their own way. Most just find it a bit undignified to fetch sticks or do tricks. You have to persuade them that what you want them to do is something that aligns with their best interests, in their view.

Oh I have! Despite all the info that greyhounds are calm and don't need a lot of exercise about half of the ones I've come across are tearing around, running up to other dogs and basically manic.
Now golden retrievers - they seem pretty chilled.

We only ended up with three as the local rescue was closing. Three are lovely and my husband copes with three fine. We have had three for 4 years now. I don't like to walk all three at the same time and we won't replace when our old lady goes.

Mainly because my husband is mid 60s and I'm mid 50s and work full time where as he is retired and has the time. If I'm left on my own with three I would find it difficult, so he has promised me we will stick to two.

You can't really have one. They are much better in pairs.

@RuthW yes I totally agree. Someone up ahead mentioned separation anxiety and I found that to be the case when I only had one. As soon as I had two, they were happy just hanging out together. They spend so much time living with their siblings or kennel mates, they’re not really suited to being on their own. There are exceptions to the rule but I think most fit that description.