Cross Breeds

Is adopting a retired racing greyhound a good idea?

My husband and I have just moved into a house with a 1/3 of an acre backyard. We would love to get a dog and I have heard greyt things about greyhounds. The cons for a dog being a part of our home would be that we have a cat and my husband and I work between 8-10 hours on most weekdays. Is a greyhound a good match?

Public Comments

1. It should be. Greyhounds have a very high prey drive, so you want to be careful around your cat.
2. The greyhounds have to be kept indoors. They don't have enough fat or hair to keep warm if kept outside. The greyhound may chase cats. But...most of the greyhound rescue groups offer greyhounds that have been kept in foster homes. So you may be able to find one that's been kept in a home with a cat. Call the closest greyhound rescue group to you. I'm sure they would love to speak with you about the breed and help you decide if a greyhound is the right match.
3. They can be great companion dogs, & have nice personality. But they require a lot of exercise & have an intense prey drive.
4. Is your yard fenced? If it is, a greyhound sounds like it could work. I'd contact your local grey rescue (most areas will have one relatively nearby) and ask to talk to them. Greyhounds are wonderful dogs, and I've never heard of them suffering separation anxiety or having stress related problems. Honestly, they spend most of their time sleeping and being lazy. :) Some greyhounds will chase cats, but most won't have a problem. This also depends on your cat's temperament. Greyhounds have extremely thin skin, and even a light bat from the cat could cause injury. Greyhounds are smart, and mine learned quickly to leave my cat alone, but you still have to be careful. Now, if your yard isn't fenced, I'd first go and talk to the rescue group. If you end up wanting to get a greyhound, I'd definitely get a fence- a physical fence, nothing too short because they're great jumpers and not one of those invisible ones. Good luck choosing your dog. :) EDIT: Also wanted to emphasize that they're not high energy dogs. Mine have one or two short bursts a day, lasting maybe twenty minutes total. Getting them playing in the backyard is enough to satisfy their daily excercise requirements. Once they start running, they just go and go and go until they wear themselves out. So you don't have to worry about having to take your dog on long walks. Of course, it's still a good idea and great for bonding, but if you don't have a lot of time during the week it's not necessary. Just go out and throw toys for them. :)
5. Just make sure you have a big old couch for them to lie on or they will take over yours. They are truly couch potaotes. Cat?? they will most likely chase it.
6. Greyhounds are fantastic dogs, and not all of them chase cats. They are content to just laze about, yet will have those speedy bursts when you're outside. Usually when you call up you'll get to meet a dog and see if it is bothered by your cat. I know someone with two greyhounds, 2 cats, a rabbit, 2 guinea pigs plus 3 hamsters and the dogs aren't bothered a bit, and they actually get on quite well with the cats. A greyhound would be fine for extended time, since they aren't puppies so are past the excessive chewing etc stage, and, despite their speed, are quite lazy the rest of the time. So call your nearest retired greyhound place (the one here is GAP - greyhounds as pets, but the organisation name can vary) and ask about one. You'll get to meet them then see if they'll tempted to chase the cat. Best of luck with your new dog!
7. Not all greyhounds chase small animals. My girl lives in a house with two cats, and I haven't had any issues. And outside on walks, she is no worse than the average dog about things like rabbits and squirrels... she'll go sniffing after them, but will go on with the walk with just a firm correction from me. Plastic bags blowing by are an entirely different issue.. she will try and catch those! 8-10 hours is a long time for a dog to be alone. Can one of you get home for an afternoon potty break? Otherwise you are definitely going to need a doggy door, and my concern with those is that they are very big to fit a greyhound, and it makes me nervous for security reasons. I work those kinds of hours, but I make it a habit to come home for lunch and to let the dog out and check on the cats.
8. Greyhounds are a great companion dog. They do not require heaps of exercise, just a secure yard and a warm spot to sleep. If your dog it to be outside you will need to rug it so it is warm.(In Australia greyhounds do live outside at times) A rescue group will match the dog to your situation. Sounds like you need a cat friendly one who is happy to be on it's own. There will be one out there just for you.. Be prepared to wait a little while and take that time to learn more about these fabulous souls..You will never regret a grey in your life..
9. 8-10 hours will be just about the right amount of time for a Greyhound nap! Seriously, as he or she can access the back garden for a quick toilet stop this would be fine. Many Greys are good with cats (mine is most definately NOT), it's all a matter of training - I want chickens soon so we will be training our boy not to chase them - he is not really interested in other birds.... Try this website for an overview on the breed - although it sounds like you have done your research. The main thing I would do (and did) is to talk to the people at your nearest adoption program. They will actually make sure you are ready to own this breed, and will give you HEAPS of cons as well as the pros because they only want to find the dog a home ONCE. If you are not sure how it will go, you could always try fostering first. Most programs pay all costs of the dog while you give it a home for a month or so and teach it basic living in the real world skills. If you "fail" fostering and end up keeping the dog then so much the better! http://grvdnn.staging.es-i.com.au/Home/tabid/658/Default.aspx Greyhounds do LOVE sleeping - so more important than the backyard will be the quality of bed you can provide! As I type, mine is happily asleep in his bed (3 years old), while my (almost 15 years old) Corgi wanders around the house! EDIT: they are not HIGH exercise requirement dogs. 20 minutes of brisk walk a day will do them just fine (they will happily take more if trained to it). They actually need a lot LESS exercise than most breeds!
10. Greyhounds are WONDERFUL dogs and are such an angelic breed, (for the most part). It is best for a greyhound owner to be home as much as possible, but if you can get someone to let your greyhound outside at least once or twice during the day to go potty, (you wouldn't want to have to wait 8-10 hours each day before you can go to the bathroom), it shouldn't be that big of a deal. The size of your yard would be wonderful, as long as it is fenced in. Greyhounds cannot be chained on a leash or use invisible fencing. Greyhounds' starting speed is so fast, that if one decided to chase something while on a leash, it would snap its neck. This is the same with invisible fencing - a greyhound would run right through the invisible fencing. Most greyhounds are not cat friendly, but there are some out there. If you do decide to adopt a greyhound, just let the rescue organization know. Many greyhound owners will tell you that a greyhound is a good match for you right off the bat. However, this advice is unwise. In order to know if a greyhound is a good match, I would need to know more about your family/family plans, i.e. kids, your family's lifestyle and activity level. Most greyhounds fit nicely into many homes, but not all. If you want to, feel free to email me with more information and I would be able to asses whether or not a greyhound would be a good match for you. I would also be able to give you a lot of good information about adopting a greyhound to help you decide if you really want one.